


Mortal Virtues

by Druekee



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Blood Drinking, First Kiss, Human/Vampire Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Past Relationship(s), Slow Build, Slow Burn, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Vampire Bites, Vampires, jooki, kiheon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-02-28 17:04:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13275957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Druekee/pseuds/Druekee
Summary: Passion, intimacy, strength... love. An aristocratic, heart-broken vampire such as Jooheon never thought he'd find all of these things in the human stripper at a vampire-human club who went by "shark", but things don't always work out the way society wants it to.To be in love with a human is taboo, and Jooheon isn't just any ordinary vampire- but the ex-fiancé of an incredibly vengeful and powerful vampire whose wrath knows no bounds.Their budding relationship blossoms despite this... but how long will it really last, when Kihyun is still only a human?





	1. Changes

**Author's Note:**

> Much of the universe and premise were created with the help of my lovely boyfriend, so this fic is dedicated to him! 
> 
> Thank you so much Troy <3
> 
> Expect lots of chapters and drama in the future! Hope you all enjoy!

_“Heartache looks beautiful on you.”_ Jooheon remembers clenching his jaw after that comment, shaking his head with tears pricking at his eyes. _“Even now, even with the current circumstance. I can’t help but still find you utterly striking, my darling,”_ that cold, ancient voice had muttered, dripping with falsities and hidden intentions- enough to make Jooheon boil with rage just at the mere recollection.

The rest of the memory faded away like smoke as Jooheon angrily stood up from his cluttered, messy couch, his legs shaking from the sudden movement. It had been seven days since that moment, when his undead heart shattered into a thousand pieces, but he still wasn’t over it. But realistically, how could someone get over a decade-long love and engagement in only seven days?

Scrubbing at his eyes, Jooheon brokenly falls back onto the faded, maroon couch, his hurting body tired from even that much movement. Tears welling up in his vision and threatening to spill out, Jooheon groans, anger mounting at the rush of weakness he felt.

“Stop… crying about him,” Jooheon muttered to himself, rubbing at his swollen eyes with shaky hands. “He will never cry about you, he never even felt the same way about you,” Jooheon continued, the words like a mantra of resilience. Collecting his strength bit by bit, Jooheon leaned further into the couch, closing his eyes and letting his long, black hair fall into his eyes.

Memories, lingering love, regret, anger… they all swirled around Jooheon in a self-hating fog, leaving the vampire in a constant state of conflicted emotions. He found it hard to even think, and after spending the past few days pouring over his work, Jooheon decided that maybe it was time to stop thinking. Maybe, if just for a little bit, he could slip into unconsciousness.

 

* * *

 

 

Slipping on his shoes and coat, Minhyuk grabbed his bag of provisions, and walked out of his apartment on a mission. It was Minhyuk’s duty, as Jooheon’s best friend forever, to make sure the boy was alright no less than twice a night, and, even though he gave the boy some space earlier (mostly because he wasn’t answering his texts), Minhyuk absolutely had to go over there at least once tonight.

Jooheon was in a rough patch right now, and Minhyuk couldn’t blame him. After the initial break-up, that Jooheon himself had insisted on, the boy had been a hot mess- never leaving his apartment, not even feeding. He was frail, tired, and looked even more lifeless than usual. It made Minhyuk’s rhetorical heart throb in concern and sympathy, and, as he approached Jooheon’s front door, began rapidly knocking his fist against it, desperate to get to the man and make sure that he was okay.

One second passed… then two. Minhyuk tried knocking again, anxiety rising at the distinct possibility that Jooheon wasn’t _ever_ going to answer him. Panic mounting to a head, Minhyuk closed his eyes, pushing all of his focus into the energy surrounding him, and then channeling it into a powerful blast of pure force- knocking the door down right off the hinges. A cloud of dust rose from the disturbance, and Minhyuk walked inside the apartment, eyes scanning around the opulent, spacious main room… and its current state. Crumpled sheet music and spilled ink were scattered and spilt around the floor and every visible surface, with Jooheon himself passed out on the couch- looking like he hadn’t bathed in days.

“Jooheon!” Minhyuk called out, watching the way the previously motionless man jolted awake at the call, his body lurching forward and eyes wide with panic. Seven days ago, Minhyuk would’ve found Jooheon’s surprise and fear hilarious and endearing, but today- it only filled him with sadness. He walked over to Jooheon’s side, kneeling down to get eye-level with the haggard-looking vampire. 

“Is everything okay? I tried knocking, but you didn’t answer,” Minhyuk asked, his sapphire-blue eyes wide with worry as he stared into Jooheon’s ice-blue ones. Jooheon swallowed dryly, processing the statement as his eyes glanced over to the entryway. Shocked with the sight that greeted him only moments after being woken up by Minhyuk screaming his name, Jooheon groaned, his voice tired and annoyed.

“Hyung?! Didn’t I tell you to call first?” Jooheon belatedly asked, tiredly getting up from the couch to assess the door situation from a closer range. Minhyuk pouted, his lower lip sticking out as he watches Jooheon slowly walk- his body looking weak and maltreated.

“But you weren’t answering, and I was worried about you,” Minhyuk explained, and Jooheon merely pursed his lips, knowing that Minhyuk had a good point. Jooheon didn’t know how long he’d been asleep on the couch, but he did know that if Minhyuk wasn’t there to keep an eye on him, he might not have woken up in the same _year_ , let alone night.

“Thank you,” Jooheon said, sincerity in his voice. The mood suddenly took a darker, somber tone as Jooheon felt a solemn gratitude towards his friend, and the terrible way he was treating himself. Minhyuk blinked nervously at the shift in atmosphere, wondering if now would finally be the time to ask Jooheon what had really happened the day he broke up with his ex. 

They were engaged, and Jooheon suddenly called off not only their marriage- but their relationship as a whole. For vampires with high stature and status, like Jooheon, engagement was the first step in an eternity-long commitment. As an elite vampire, to call off an engagement needed months, if not years, of documentation and proof to prove that a split would be the best choice. To keep a perfect reputation and status, it had to be proven valid in court, not decided by Jooheon alone.

Minhyuk’s typical personality was definitely borderline pestering at times, but even he knew that if Jooheon didn’t want to talk about it- then he shouldn’t push him. He respected his boundaries, no matter how much his curiosity was eating him up inside… at least, as best as he could manage.

“Do you… want to talk about it?” Minhyuk asked, unable to stop himself as he witnessed firsthand how broken Jooheon appeared, how dead his eyes looked. Jooheon swallowed, considering it for a moment… the thought of confiding in his friend and getting everything off his chest was tempting, but the lingering love he still held for his ex-fiancé was keeping him from doing it. The public was already dying to know what happened between the two, and if word got out about what _really_ happened that day, it would destroy his ex’s status and reputation for eternity.

“I’m sorry,” Jooheon simply replied, guilt smacking him right in the face. As much as he loved his ex-fiancé, he still cared about his friend… and he couldn’t even tell his best friend why he was so hurt- his best friend that only wanted to help him heal his wounds. It made him feel like a failure of a friend, and he stared down at the fallen-down door, not even angry at Minhyuk for knocking it down any longer. Sensing this, Minhyuk pulled out his little bag of provisions, figuring that now was the best time for a distraction.   

“I brought a few things with me, here, come look at this,” Minhyuk said, gesturing for Jooheon to come back to the table. A cold draft breezed in through the empty doorway, and Jooheon, completely unaffected, walks to the table, a slight limp in his step. Pulling out a ceramic water bottle, Minhyuk hastily unscrewed the cap, and the powerful scent of blood flooded the room. Perking up, Jooheon grabbed the bottle as it was handed to him, and took a small sip, slipping out a pleasant groan as he then began chugging the entire bottle. 

“I thought you might want some of that,” Minhyuk said, smiling fondly as he watches Jooheon messily slurp down the red liquid. Inhaling deeply as he finishes the bottle, Jooheon sets it down, not even noticing the streams of blood dripping from his mouth. Feeling the blood course through his veins and into all of his limbs, Jooheon exhales a sigh of relief, the food fueling his body and providing him with strength that he so desperately needed. Cringing at the unkempt appearance of his friend, Minhyuk frowns, and then shakes his head, glad that at least he had some energy in him now. He then pulls out a small piece of paper from his bag, handing it to Jooheon.

“I also saw an advertisement for this club on my way here,” Minhyuk explained, watching the way Jooheon’s face contorted in confusion as he read the paper. “I thought it might be a good idea to get you out of the house, and I think a pretty human boy might be just what you need right now,” he continued, smiling amusedly at the scandalized expression on Jooheon’s face. “Maybe get you a little blood, and a little booty, if you get what I’m saying, my friend,” Minhyuk continued, and at that comment- Jooheon outright laughed, setting down the flyer and shaking his head.

“I don’t know, hyung,” Jooheon began, frowning a bit as he found his gaze returning to the paper, unable to tear his gaze away from the beautiful, flush-faced human boys posing naughtily on the advertisement. “These sorts of places aren’t really becoming of young elites like us,” Jooheon said, choosing to ignore what state he, as a ‘young elite’, was currently in for the sake of his argument. Minhyuk had handed him an ad for what was essentially a strip club for vampires to feed off of humans who enjoyed being used as a live blood supply. They were mostly frequented by vampires with low status and low standards- definitely not upstanding vampires like Minhyuk and Jooheon.

Minhyuk couldn’t help but laugh at the reply, shaking his head.

“What do you have left to lose, Jooheon?” Minhyuk asked, not expecting an answer. Jooheon’s gaze flickered down to the floor of his apartment, noticing the terrible state it was in. “Maybe some sexy fun would get your mind off of things for a little while?” Minhyuk prompted, tilting his head cutely to the side. “This is also a pretty damn easy meal, and you definitely need more than that water bottle’s worth of blood to last you through the night,” Minhyuk added, and at that Jooheon began slowly nodding- clearly getting warmed up to the idea. 

“Alright, but what if we get seen there?” Jooheon asked, but it was pretty clear by his body language and expression that this was his last hold-out. Minhyuk walked closer to the boy, wrapping his arm around his shoulders as he looked into his face, a bright smile painting his features.

“It’s like you said, Jooheony bee. It’s not the place for upstanding vampires,” Minhyuk began, and then smirked, the expression a little more conniving. “So if we get caught there, they’ll be caught too,” he concluded, and Jooheon smiled, feeling the first shreds of excitement he’d felt in the past week.

“You have a point,” Jooheon admitted, and then sighed, nodding his head resolutely. “Alright, I’ll go,” he said, straightening his posture. Minhyuk squealed in delight, tackling the man in a tight hug. 

“Great!!” Minhyuk cheered, and, after pulling back and seeing Jooheon’s incredibly ragged appearance, frowned in disgust.

“Alright, you just go take a shower and get all prettied up, and I’ll be in here… fixing your door,” Minhyuk said, chuckling nervously as he stared bashfully over at the mess he’d made. Jooheon nodded, and then quirked a brow, glad that Minhyuk at least was planning on doing that himself.

“I’ll be out soon- please don’t break anything else,” Jooheon jokingly said as he walked over to his bathroom, the sound of Minhyuk’s footsteps creaking the floorboards echoing behind him. Entering the room, Jooheon closed the door behind him, sighing slowly as he started up the shower. As he was waiting on the shower to heat up to an appropriate temperature, Jooheon found himself facing his vampire-calibrated mirror- and took in his terrible appearance.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, tired eyes scanning his bloodstained, messy appearance. He looked like a complete and total wreck, not only on the surface- but written all in his eyes were visions of pain and lingering emotion. Jooheon ran his hand through his long, greasy black hair, and then winced, a memory flooding into his mind.

 _“Your dark hair is so beautiful long, darling. Keep it like this for me.”_ He could almost see the sly, cool grin on his ex-fiancé’s face as he uttered those words, and it made tears well into Jooheon’s eyes. He tugged on his hair, and then angrily raked his fingers through the long, stringy strands, hating how much it reminded him of his ex.

Getting an idea, Jooheon pulls open the cabinet in his bathroom, pulling out a pair of scissors and an electric trimmer. He wasn’t going to let his ex control his appearance any longer, and with that thought fueling him, Jooheon flattened his hair, making bold, fast cuts. He cut off probably two or three inches of hair, leaving only short, choppy strands remaining. Along the sides of his head, Jooheon trimmed his hair down with the electric trimmer, giving him a completely unique and fresh hair style… but that was only half of his ex’s comment. His hair was still dark, but Jooheon would have to change that after showering. Bleach didn’t stick well to dirty hair, after all.

Getting into the shower feeling much lighter already, Jooheon quickly bathed himself, washing off days’ worth of grime and negative emotions down the drain. He didn’t realize just how much he needed this shower, and felt refreshed and light as he stepped out of the shower, body drenched in water. After towel-drying himself, Jooheon began blow-drying his hair, pleased to see that he actually did a pretty even cut. Wrapping his towel around his hips, Jooheon opened the door to the bathroom. 

“Hyung! Come help me with something,” Jooheon called out, watching the way Minhyuk immediately jolted up, walking over to the boy. Scrunching his eyebrows as he surveys Jooheon’s new appearance, Minhyuk frowned, giving him a questioning look.

“What happened to your hair…?” Minhyuk asked, but Jooheon was already waving off the question.

“Needed a change, and that’s not all. Could you help me get this bleach on my hair?” Jooheon asked, and Minhyuk chuckled, glad to see that Jooheon was really putting forth effort to move on, and a hair change seemed like a pretty harmless thing in Minhyuk’s mind. Already walking towards the bathroom, Minhyuk followed after Jooheon.

“Yep,” Minhyuk replied, and, as the two entered the steamy bathroom, Jooheon poured some of the special, fancy vampire hair product into a bowl, getting out some plastic gloves for them to wear while applying the product. Grabbing a pair of gloves, Minhyuk put them on, eyes tersely watching the way Jooheon’s hands trembled as he squeezed out the product. Minhyuk knew that under normal circumstances, Jooheon was perfectly capable of doing this himself, but that was the thing. This wasn’t a normal circumstance.

Silently getting a glob of the product on his gloves, Minhyuk began massaging it into Jooheon’s scalp, spreading the product throughout his short hair. With the length of Jooheon’s hair in its current state, Minhyuk found that the job was getting done incredibly quick, and Jooheon helping him out got them finished in no time.

Removing the gloves and setting them onto the edge of the sink, Minhyuk raised his hands to either side of Jooheon’s head, hovering them there as he focused his energy. This particular type of bleach was specifically made for vampire hair, and could permanently dye hair in seconds- with enough energy, that is.

“How light are you wanting me to go?” Minhyuk asked, his eyes flickering over to Jooheon’s reflection in the mirror. Jooheon looked him dead in the eye, and with a stern voice, replied:

“White.” Getting the idea, Minhyuk inhaled deeply, focusing all of his energy into heating up the bleach in Jooheon’s hair, rapidly speeding up the rate of the bleach absorption. He watched the black strands turn brown, then red, then wheat blond, until-

“Alright, I think that’s enough,” Jooheon said, wincing slightly from the intense feeling on his scalp. Minhyuk nodded, and then removed his hands, observing the stark white hair that was now on Jooheon’s head.

“Wow, that looks incredible,” Minhyuk complimented. He looked like a completely different person, his hair and general appearance a harsh contrast from how he looked a few minutes ago. Jooheon nodded, but the bleach was stinging his scalp- he needed to rinse it out. 

“Let me wash it out now,” Jooheon said, his hands clenching the towel that was haphazardly wrapped around his waist as he eyed Minhyuk expectantly. Getting the gist, Minhyuk nodded, and then shot the boy a cheeky wink as he exited the bathroom.

Stepping back in the shower to wash out the burning bleach, Jooheon ran another round of shampoo and conditioner through his hair, and then got out of the shower, annoyed that he had to dry his hair all over again. Luckily, his hair was significantly shorter now, and the task was quick and easy. He even styled his hair in messy, haphazard spikes, smirking contentedly at the reflection in the mirror. Slipping his towel back on around his waist, Jooheon felt energized, excited to go out into the world again. It was an incredible feeling, after everything he’d been through. Opening the door to the bathroom, Jooheon stepped out, showing off his newly acquired hair proudly to his friend.

“ _Damn_!! That suits you so well!” Minhyuk complimented in a loud, bright voice, and Jooheon smiled, a tiny tinge of embarrassment welling up from the assertive compliment.

“Thank you,” Jooheon murmured under his breath, and swallowed, remembering that they were about to go out- and he needed to decide what to wear. “What are you wearing?” Jooheon asked, unable to see what sort of obscene outfit Minhyuk was wearing under his calf-length trench coat. Minhyuk smiled toothily, and then began unbuttoning his coat.

“I’m glad you asked- this way, we can coordinate,” Minhyuk replied as he ripped off his coat- showing off an entirely too revealing outfit. On the top, he was wearing a distressed fish-net top, paired with leather, lace-up arm-bands and several fetishy looking straps along his mid-section. On the bottom, he was wearing baggy, ripped jeans with steel hoops sewn into the fabric to expose even more flesh. Jooheon raised his eyebrows, shaking his head.

“Yeah, I don’t think I have anything in my closet that could coordinate with _that_ ,” Jooheon replied, punctuating the sentence with a finger waggling at Minhyuk’s ensemble. Chuckling, Minhyuk raised his eyebrows, as if he didn’t quite believe what Jooheon was saying.

“What about that corset I bought you?” Minhyuk prompted, referring to a shiny, latex corset belt that Minhyuk had bought him for his 93th birthday a few years ago. Jooheon stammered, but then pouted, realizing that Minhyuk had a point. Plus, he hadn’t ever found the opportunity to wear that particular piece of clothing before… maybe tonight was a good night to try something new. Hell, this would be the _least_ new thing he’d be doing tonight.

“…I’ll go get it.”

After trying on several different outfits, and eventually deciding on a pair of shiny leather pants and a plain white button-down, with the corset on top, Jooheon was finally content. He added some finishing touches with jewelry and makeup, and was ready to head out for the night. Looking over at Minhyuk, Jooheon smiled softly, thankful that his friend woke him up by knocking down his door today.

“You ready?” Minhyuk asked, and Jooheon nodded, grabbing his wallet and keys and then walking towards the door.

“Let’s paint the town _red_.”


	2. First Meetings

Passing through the wide double-doors and bulky bouncers below the hot pink neon sign that read _“The Bleeding Lamb”_ in fancy cursive, Jooheon was greeted with quite the unexpected sight. Rumor had it that places like this were disgusting, filth-ridden, and only for the lowest of the low, but Jooheon was astounded by the cleanliness of the club. Not only were the floors completely rid of blood, but they were white marble and completely unstained. Of course, the stench of blood was still in the air, but that was to be expected of any vampire-friendly establishment.

“Wow, this place is really nice,” Minhyuk complimented under his breath, and Jooheon nodded, raising his eyebrows in agreement. Scanning the crowd, Jooheon noticed that only vampires were on the main floor, even the bartenders looked like vampires- and none of them really seemed like low-life… Well, most of them didn’t. There were definitely riff-raff here, but they blended into the mass of scantily dressed, black leather clad vampires pretty well. Everyone seemed like they belonged here, like they all shared a common secret. Jooheon swallowed, realizing that among them all, him and Minhyuk clearly stuck out as being the most aristocratic. But oddly enough, nobody was giving them even a passing glance- and Jooheon quickly found out why. 

“I think the show is about to start,” Minhyuk muttered into Jooheon’s ear, his voice soft. Jooheon nodded, and then squinted his eyes towards the stage, noticing that the curtains were moving ever so slightly- as if people were bustling about behind it.

“I think you’re right,” Jooheon agreed, and, as he watched the crowds of people all disperse into various positions to watch the show, Minhyuk took a tentative step forward.

“Let’s stand someplace where we can see the stage better,” Minhyuk offered, and then grabbed Jooheon’s wrist, dragging the vampire with him whether he liked it or not. Jooheon chuckled breathlessly, stumbling behind Minhyuk as he led him to the middle of the crowd, where they had a clear view of the stage but weren’t embarrassingly close. Jooheon nervously ran his fingers through the hair on the sides of his head, feeling how short and fried it felt under his touch. He didn’t really know what watching this show would entail, and his heart was still in pieces, but as soon as the curtain swung open, all of Jooheon’s thoughts melted away with the heat of the stage lights.

“And now, we at the _Bleeding Lamb_ are pleased to welcome our three lovely entertainers of the evening!” a voice sounded from the speakers somewhere above their heads, and Jooheon’s eyes widened as a man stepped from behind the curtain.

“Holan-gi!” A man with bright, fiery red hair and beautifully flushed skin walks across the stage, his serious, hot eyes scanning the crowd. Loud cheering and hollering sounded, particularly from the back of the room, and Jooheon swallowed, eyes scanning down his formidable body. He was pretty tall, but looked stout- he was ridiculously built, every inch of his exposed body was perfectly muscular. Jooheon blinked a few times, impressed with his fitness and intensity, but not particularly taken by him. Luckily, he had a feeling there would be more pretty human boys coming out soon.

“Neungdae!” This time, the man that walked out was starkly different than the man before him, his slender, shapely legs strutting across the stage. He didn’t have the first hint of an emotion on his features, but he suddenly bent over in half, spreading his legs while shaking his ass at the crowd. The audience roared in approval, and Jooheon found himself chuckling at the intense cheer he heard Minhyuk himself scream out alongside them. Flickering his eyes to look at his friend, Jooheon chokes out another laugh, the hearts in Minhyuk’s eyes plain as day. When he saw Jooheon looking at him, Minhyuk points several times at the slender human before mouthing ‘I call dibs’. Jooheon nodded, acknowledging the comment. This left one final man… Jooheon inhaled shakily, eagerly anticipating the next entertainer.

“Sang-eo!” The crowd went crazy, and Jooheon could instantly tell why. Languidly stepping from behind the curtain was a smirking, petite boy with the most beautifully proportioned body Jooheon had ever laid eyes on. He had a slight build, but the real kicker was his gorgeous face. Dark, intense eyes peeking from behind long, gray hair that when the light hit it- looked like shimmering silver, or angel’s wings cast under a shadow. Unable to tear his eyes away from the man, Jooheon unexpectedly found himself making direct eye-contact with him, throat constricting as the human smirks ever-so-slightly, his eyes flooding Jooheon’s mind with intense, erotic visions. A second passed like a century, and then the entertainer broke eye-contact, continuing his walk across the stage.   

“Whoa,” Jooheon sighed, finally able to breathe again. Minhyuk nodded, clearly focused on something, or somebody, else on the stage.

“Let’s get closer,” Minhyuk offered, to which Jooheon wholeheartedly agreed- and thus, the two boys made their through the crowd, finding empty chairs on the front row. Jooheon figured that these chairs were only for the bravest souls, willing to ravage the god-like humans on stage, and, with this in mind, Jooheon took a seat. Minhyuk followed his lead, and there was no other discussion passed between the two, their eyes boring into the bodies on the stage. 

Smoke filled the room, both from the smoke machines placed behind the curtains and cigarettes and cigars being smoked by the patrons, recognized by the acrid smell of tobacco permeating the air. More people started encroaching the stage, rat-like, bug-eyed vampires staring at the humans like they were nothing more than meat and blood… and Jooheon supposed they were partially right. He couldn’t help but feel like there was something more going on behind those pretty faces, however, as he continued locking gazes with Sang-eo, falling head-first into the depth of his pretty eyes.

Bumping, loud club music sounded in the air, and dancing poles rose from the floor of the stage, one for each human present. They wrapped a hand around their adjacent pole, and at that cue, the music suddenly shifted to a new song, something slow and sinful for the boys to dance to. The energy of the crowd immediately transformed, and all Jooheon could feel was the raw hunger and lust radiating all around him, circling him with their dark demeanors and fangs already out on display. The intensity was mounting, and suddenly the boys on stage began their dance.

Fleshy, beautiful bodies spun and twirled around the poles, their bodies flushed in a sheen of sweat, displaying all of their beautifully mortal characteristics in one gorgeous performance. The music was pounding in Jooheon’s ears like a heartbeat, something he hadn’t truly heard in decades, something he didn’t know would attract him so much. If he focused all of his concentration on Sang-eo, Jooheon could heard the boy’s pants and breaths, his delicious voice as he swayed his hips and shimmied around the shiny pole. Jooheon swallowed thickly, his eyes turning hotter and brighter with lust, and he leaned forward in his chair, desperate to get closer to the tempting human.

The pumping music seemed to still as Jooheon watched Sang-eo suddenly turned so that his back was against the pole, facing Jooheon directly as he reaches his arms up and slowly starts sliding down the pole. His tight little shorts start riding up his thighs the lower he gets to the ground, and Jooheon nearly chokes, breathless at the reveal of more and more tantalizing skin. He flickers his gaze into Sang-eo’s eyes, mouth gaping at the intense, seductive gaze that met his. Sang-eo was looking at _him_. He wasn’t looking anywhere else. Jooheon felt like he was the only person in the club and this man was giving him a private show. He swallowed thickly, eyes continuing to drink up the incredibly performance.

Being on the stage as a human in front of a crowd of hungry vampires was always an overwhelming feeling for Sang-eo. He knew that on any given day, he could get killed or even turned into a vampire by the oftentimes ravaging clientele at his club… but that didn’t deter him, it never had. There was no other thrill in the world more adrenaline-inducing than getting your blood drained by a vampire. And Sang-eo was a performer by nature- he loved dancing and making his audience happy, it was who he was, so to combine the two was practically Sang-eo’s personal heaven.

Tonight, there was something especially enticing in the crowd before him- a vampire sitting on the front row, with his heart on his sleeve and the most powerful gaze the human had ever seen in his life. He wanted to learn this vampire’s story, figure out why such a high-class man looked so _broken_ , yet so full of lust and desire directed solely at Sang-eo, his gaze not even wavering towards any other man. He looked like he needed somebody… and Sang-eo wanted to be that person for him, despite his obviously immense power and instability. He couldn’t explain it logically because it _wasn’t_ logical, it was… maybe love at first sight. Maybe.

Languidly stripping off his revealing top, Sang-eo tossed it behind him, running his hands down his lean, pretty torso, his eyes boring into the one vampire in the crowd he was truly interested in. He wanted to see his reaction, feel the lust pulsate towards him as he took off every single article of clothing he had on. The music pounded in Sang-eo’s ears, and he smirked loosely, eyes turning half-lidded as he watches the vampire clench the arms of the chair, eyes hungry and intense.

Jooheon could no longer deny the clear intent in the human’s actions any longer. He clearly wanted to show Jooheon his body, and show it to him in the most frustratingly slow way possible. If it were Jooheon stripping him, he would’ve been completely nude by now. Feeling a bit embarrassed with how intensely he was lusting after the human, Jooheon leaned back in his chair, trying to get a grip on himself… and completely failing. There was no way he could calm down when Sang-eo had his fingers running along the edges of his tiny shorts, pushing them down ever-so-slightly. Of course, he was only being a tease, and removed his fingers after a few seconds, smirking cheekily down at Jooheon as he did so. 

The tune of the music took a sudden turn, and quicker, raunchier music started blasting throughout the hazy, lust-filled club, sparking Sang-eo and the other two dancers to get into a new position. The red head, who’s stage name Jooheon couldn’t remember, turned so that his back was to the side of the pole, that was itself wedged between his shapely ass cheeks. The skinny one with the big ass, who’s name was also failing Jooheon, turned so that he was facing the other direction, his legs spread. And finally, Sang-eo moved into position, holding the middle pole, and getting onto his knees, grasping the pole with his thighs spread wide. The music hit a particular cue, and then all three performers started moving- humping the pole, twerking, and, as for Sang-eo, he started rocking his hips into the air on his knees.

Jooheon felt his entire world still as he watched the human move his hips, his body donned in nothing more than a pair of latex booty-shorts as he did body-rolls, his gorgeous body swaying and contorting to the beat. After several long seconds of staring at his body, well, mostly his crotch, Jooheon’s eyes flickered up to his face, and he groaned hotly at the sexy, concentrated expression set on his pretty features. He looked like an incubus, but Jooheon had met those- and they weren’t half as enticing as this one human was in this moment.

Before Jooheon even got the chance to breathe, Sang-eo finished his hip-thrusts and began crawling on hands and knees across the stage to Jooheon. As he got to the edge of the stage, the stunning boy flashed Jooheon a breathy, bright smile, showing off cute dimples right in the centers of his cheeks. He twirled his body around, so his legs were stretched out across the last few feet of stage, and then leaned back, lifting his hips andspreading his legs on the stage directly in front of Jooheon, giving the vampire the perfect view as he took off his shorts. Jooheon choked, his eyes widening as he watches the way Sang-eo’s underwear got dragged down just a little bit- exposing more of the human’s ass than he probably intended for Jooheon to see. Or at least, Jooheon thought that before Sang-eo leaned forward, shooting him a cheeky wink as he tossed his shorts behind him.

Now clad in only an absurdly skimpy, string thong, Sang-eo jumped off the stage, walking the few feet towards Jooheon. Jooheon glanced around, and noticed that the other two performers were moving to get off the stage too, so maybe this was finally _that_ time of the night: when Jooheon could finally get a good taste of this boy’s blood. Getting directly in front of his chair, the human smirked breathily, his hand reaching out to touch the exposed skin of Jooheon’s forearm, and Jooheon groaned at the touch.

Jooheon needed this now, the contact high of hot human skin sweating against his. He needed to forget the secrets he had been carrying alone, he needed to lose himself in this one beautiful human.

“On stage, I go by Sang-eo, do you know what that means?” the stunning dancer asked, his mostly naked body descending onto Jooheon’s lap. Jooheon stared blearily up into the warm, flushed human’s face, trying to ignore the mounting feeling of his fangs growing from the sight of deliciously supple flesh merely inches away. 

“Shark. It means shark,” Jooheon answered, his voice sounding a little raspy since he hadn’t spoken in a while. The performer smiled, nodding his head in agreement.

“Exactly~ and do you have any guesses as to why I go by ‘shark’ when I’m surrounded by all these creatures with teeth sharper than mine?” Sang-eo asked, and he grinded his hips onto Jooheon’s lap, dark eyes staring expectantly down at the vampire’s. Jooheon could only shake his head, completely in a trance.

“No idea,” Jooheon said, unable to resist reaching his hand out, grazing the side of Sang-eo’s arm as he trailed his cold fingers upwards, groaning at how hot and tantalizing the human’s skin felt under his touch. He could feel the blood pumping through him, the life radiating from deep within. Sang-eo leaned forward, his lips right against Jooheon’s ear as he answered.

“It’s because in this ocean, I’m the top predator, and I won’t let any of you vampires forget who’s really in control here,” Sang-eo whispered into Jooheon’s ear, and Jooheon shivered, lips parting in a thick, needy moan. He felt oddly powerless in this human’s hold, and the feeling was… strangely liberating. Jooheon swallowed, but his fangs were now fully extended, and Sang-eo’s scent was so strong when he was this close to him. It was too tempting to resist.

“May I…” Jooheon began asking, his icy blue eyes staring up into the human’s, his words tentative but his gaze burning with a hunger and desire that completely invalidated his timidity. Sang-eo nodded, arching his chin up and displaying his temping neck for Jooheon to do with what he saw fit- it was the whole purpose of the club.

“Yes,” the human barely even managed to finish saying before Jooheon opened his mouth to full capacity, his long, sharp fangs glinting in the dim light as he slid them into the human’s flesh, his mind going on over-drive at the influx of life his body was bombarded with. Sang-eo’s taste was like no human Jooheon had ever eaten- he tasted strong and virile, as if he had so much stored energy it practically attacked Jooheon upon his first taste. It wasn’t exactly sweet blood, like other humans Jooheon had consumed, but instead it was a more powerful, almost bitter flavor. It was utterly divine and addictive, like a fine wine, it got better the more Jooheon drank.

He almost forgot how good it felt to feed on live humans, and paired with how he’d been starving himself the past week, Jooheon found himself unable to stop from drinking more and more of Sang-eo’s blood. He drank without mercy, his body becoming tense and possessive as he swallowed mouthful after mouthful of his fresh, warm blood. He could feel Sang-eo writhing and moaning above him, but he couldn’t stop himself from feeding even if he tried- he was consuming the most delicious meal he’d ever had, how could he possibly stop himself? Fingers digging into Sang-eo’s flesh, Jooheon groaned, his dark, ancient aura flaring hot white light at the influx of strength- a clear sign of his aristocracy and immense power. Noticing this, Minhyuk reached his hand out, shaking Jooheon’s shoulder.

“It’s time to stop,” Minhyuk said, his clear, raspy voice resonating deep into Jooheon’s mind, and he reluctantly pulled away from Sang-eo, some of the man’s blood dripping down his chin. Meeting Sang-eo’s eyes, Jooheon felt reality smack him right in the face, and he swallowed deeply, goosebumps rising on his skin as he took in the human’s appearance.

Not only was Sang-eo trembling from the intensity, but his face was flushed pink, lips parted in delicious, breathy moans. He didn’t look scared of Jooheon, despite his uncontrollable display of power, instead: he looked incredibly turned on by it. Jooheon’s eyes roamed down the human’s body, his breath catching in his throat at the obvious erection tenting his tiny little underwear. High from the blood rushing through his system, Jooheon growled, his blood-covered teeth displayed by the motion, his blue eyes so icy cold they _burned_.

“I see you really needed that drink, baby,” Sang-eo muttered, swallowing dryly as he stares down at the man beneath him. When he’d initially saw him, the human knew that this vampire was different than the others… but weak, or maybe sick. Now, after having a good, long drink from Sang-eo’s neck, all of his underlying power was now forced to the surface. Sang-eo had never met a creature who scared him before, and he had consequently never been more aroused in his life.

“Uhn,” Jooheon affirmatively replied, still not able to iterate coherent sentences, too overwhelmed by his own primal urges to even think about verbal communication. Feeling his heart pound at the ferocity and sheer, ancient force radiating off this vampire in waves, Sang-eo swallows, feeling the heat rise to his face as he thought about vocalizing his next thoughts.

“Do you want to take this… somewhere more private?” he offers, and then feels his heart pound as the vampire meets his eyes, his hot, powerful gaze piercing Sang-eo’s very soul.

“Yes,” Jooheon replies, starting to get his wits about him. It didn’t help that he was still in such close proximity to Sang-eo, since he was still trying to come down from his bloodlust, but he couldn’t even think about turning the man down. Feeling the human get off of his lap and then grab him by the wrist, making his body lurch up from the chair, Jooheon instantly sobered up. He blinked a few times, stumbling after Sang-eo as he led them down a hallway to do god only knows what with him. Jooheon blinked a few times, and then looked at the back of the human’s head, panic swelling in his metaphorical heart.

Sang-eo opened a door labelled ‘EMPLOYEE’S ONLY’ in huge block letters, and flicked on the light, pushing Jooheon into a chair in the room. Jooheon crashed back into the seat, and his eyes widened with realization as Sang-eo straddled his lap, his eyes full of sexual desire, his body radiating sensuality and horniness… and his expression told Jooheon that he was perfectly willing to act on those feelings. Swallowing nervously, Jooheon watched the human’s bare body move in the bright, stable light of the Employee Lounge, and was kicked in the gut with a terribly painful memory.

“ _Ah, Jooheony! It’s not what it looks like-”_ those words echoed in Jooheon’s head as he recalled that fateful day- when he’d walked in on his fiancé having sex with another vampire. And not just any vampire, but an awful, bigoted asshole of an aristocrat who thought he was somebody more than he was. Jooheon shook his head, tears pouring from his eyes as he stared at their nude bodies in the bright light he’d cast them in--

“I-Is everything okay?” a stabling, clear voice called to Jooheon- in the present. Inhaling deeply, Jooheon blinked a few times, taking his mind back to current times and away from that terrible memory. When he came to, he saw the pure, honest concern in the human’s eyes, and Jooheon smiled sadly, shaking his head. 

“I recently went through a pretty rough break up, I’m sorry,” Jooheon explained, reaching his arm across the space between them and stroking the side of the human’s face. Sang-eo smiles sadly, knowing exactly what that felt like. Guilt cascaded over him, and he felt terrible for just rushing into sex without even considering the vampire’s feelings. He must be so overwhelmed- having just fed, and then to be obviously recalling his previous relationship? Sang-eo had no idea what he was going through, but he knew that whatever it was- he was going to be kind and respect this vampire no matter what. Sang-eo could tell by his eyes that he had been through something horrible, but he was a good person beneath it all.

“That’s perfectly okay,” Sang-eo muttered, the atmosphere in the Employee Lounge taking a much more somber turn as the two stared into each other’s eyes, emotions and dialogue passing between them wordlessly. Leaning forward, Sang-eo pressed his forehead against the vampire’s, feeling how cool he felt beneath him, and sighing pleasantly at the relaxing sensation.

“W-WHOA!” a voice called out from behind them, and Sang-eo turned around, blinking rapidly at the man who interrupted them, a bit nervous until he realized who it was. Giving Jooheon an apologizing glance, Sang-eo got up from his lap, adjusting his underwear as he stared at the man in the door.

“Hoseok-ah, hello,” Sang-eo greeted, and Jooheon nodded in recognition as he realized who had walked in on their little moment- the red-headed, extremely muscular human from earlier. He leaned back into his chair, all worry wiped from his mind as he watched the stuttering man stumble about the room.

“I-I’m sorry I walked in without knocking, I didn’t realize you had company back here,” Hoseok nervously stuttered as he walked over to the mirror, grabbing a small bag with a bunny decal on it and tucking it under his arm, his gaze nervous.

“Hyung, we never knock before walking in here,” Sang-eo chided, chuckling. “It’s okay, you weren’t interrupting anything.” That was a lie, but clearly Hoseok was more worried about it than he needed to be. Sighing in relief, Hoseok flashed Sang-eo a bright smile, his eyes quickly flashing over to Jooheon, who still had blood staining his chin.

“Um, what were you two planning on doing in here…?” Hoseok asked, clutching the bag a little closer to his chest, almost as if he was scared. Jooheon felt a weird pang of worry, thinking that maybe this human would rat them out. It was still pretty taboo for vampires and humans to actually have sex with one another, and Jooheon wasn’t a fool. He knew what this situation looked like. Despite his worry, Sang-eo smirked, chuckling mischievously.

“Naughty things, but you’re pretty used to doing those with vampires, aren’t you, hyung?” Sang-eo said, cocking his head. “With two at once, even-” 

“That’s enough!” Hoseok said, his face completely on fire as he began bustling out of the room. “I-I-I’ll just leave you two to it, I’ll tell the others not to come by,” he continued, looking a little peculiar scrambling away half-naked with his little bunny bag. Sang-eo chuckled, shaking his head fondly.

“Don’t mind Hoseok, he’s not one to judge,” Sang-eo said, giving Jooheon a trustworthy glance. “He’s dating two vampires himself,” he concluded, and Jooheon raised his eyebrows, a little impressed with the red-haired human. Realizing that he hadn’t even introduced himself properly, Sang-eo walked to his station across the room, grabbing a business card.

“By the way, my real name is Kihyun. Yoo Kihyun,” Sang-eo, or, Kihyun said, scribbling something down onto the card before handing it to Jooheon. Taking the small piece of paper, Jooheon read the inscription- which was a phone number.

“I am Lee Jooheon,” he replied, smiling as he pockets the card and gives the boy a curious gaze. Kihyun smiles, the expression a tiny bit nervous as he thinks about the next thing he’s about to say… and how much he wants a positive reply.

“You should definitely come back here sometime, Jooheon,” Kihyun says, and then laughs nervously, internally chastising himself at how flustered he suddenly became. He’s a vampire- he’s bound to come back at some point! Kihyun just prayed it was sooner rather than later. “A-and if you can’t drop by, you can give me a call? And I’ll give you a private show and a drink,” he offered, staring down at the floor anxiously. He’d never offered that to a customer before, but there was something different about Jooheon… even his name was unique and attractive to Kihyun.

From his seat, Jooheon’s eyes opened fractionally wider, and his lips parted in awe. He’d never been spoken to with such nervous care before, at least, not since he was a human- and despite Jooheon ruining the mood, Kihyun was still interested in pursuing something special with him? It was beyond flattering, and Jooheon smiled fondly, reaching up to grasp onto Kihyun’s hand.

“I’ll be back next time you’re working.”


	3. Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get out but I hope everyone enjoys the latest chapter!!! 
> 
> Please let me know what you think in the comments below! <3

Stretching his back with a long, languid movement, Jooheon sighed heavily, still trying to wake up for the night. Right now, he was cleaning up his apartment- for the first time since he’d broken up with his ex-fiancé nearly two weeks ago. It desperately needed a good, deep clean, and Jooheon was finally getting around to doing it. Even though his heart still hurt, deeply and painfully, Jooheon knew that eventually- it would be time to move on. A good place to start was always to have a clean home. Jooheon smiled softly to himself, sweeping dust into a huge pile in the center of the room. Honestly, it felt good to get his shit together, look good, and socialize multiple times a week at a wild human-vamp club.

The Bleeding Lamb, well, it’s turning out to be a much more fascinating place than Jooheon could’ve ever given it credit for. After his initial visit to the strange club, Jooheon had since visited three more times in the week that followed… in other words, every single time Kihyun had worked there since then. He was honestly becoming a bit of a regular at this point, and couldn’t find it in himself to dislike this fact. Going to the Bleeding Lamb gave him a purpose, something to look forward to. Plus, Jooheon had actually made a couple vampire friends along the way, and he was always looking for non-pretentious vampires who weren’t just looking to befriend him for his status.

Despite going to this club for the main purpose of seeing Kihyun- honestly, Jooheon hadn’t interacted with him very much. He hadn’t fed on the man at all since their first meeting- a fact that Minhyuk endlessly teased him for. Jooheon liked Kihyun, he really did, but he was still a human. It was unavoidable that Kihyun would see him just like every other vampire, and he didn’t want him to… truthfully, Jooheon had developed a bit of a crush on the man, and the more he saw him, the deeper this crush became. Kihyun was more than just breathtakingly beautiful- he was also smart, cunning, resourceful… Jooheon didn’t want to ruin his chances by acting too possessive right off the bat.

Resting his chin against the top of his broom, Jooheon sighed, mentally deciding that humans were far more complicated than vampires could ever dream of being. Startling him out of his thoughts, Jooheon heard his phone go off from the couch, and he walked over, grateful for a distraction from his cleaning. Seeing that the caller was Minhyuk, Jooheon answered.

“Hey hyung,” Jooheon greeted, opening up his black-out curtains and peering down onto the city sprawled out below him. He heard static and a muffled chuckle, before Minhyuk spoke again.

“Jooheony bee! How’s it going?” Minhyuk replied, still simply exchanging pleasantries. Jooheon hummed thoughtfully, rubbing the tip of his index finger against the cool glass.

“Good, I’m actually cleaning up my apartment right now,” Jooheon proudly declared, and Minhyuk cheered.

“WOO!! Oh my god, _finally_ , you have _no idea_ how hard I’ve tried not to gag every time I walk into your place--” Minhyuk began, and Jooheon scrunched his eyebrows together, frowning slightly.

“That is a disgusting exaggeration, hyung,” Jooheon replied, and Minhyuk couldn’t help but burst out into a fit of laughter. 

“No, it’s really not,” Minhyuk insisted. Jooheon pouted his lips thoughtfully, turning his neck and gazing at the pile of dust he’d swept, thinking that maybe… it wasn’t such an exaggeration after all. Shrugging loosely, Jooheon moved the phone from his right hand to his left, and put it up to his ear again.

“Whatever, what did you actually call me for?” Jooheon asked, and he heard a loud clapping noise from the other end, startling him slightly.

“I’m glad you asked!” Minhyuk dramatically began, and Jooheon resisted the urge to roll his eyes- oh wait, Minhyuk couldn’t even see him… Realizing there was nothing stopping him, Jooheon rolled his eyes, waiting a few seconds for Minhyuk to inevitably continue. 

“…I was just wondering if you were still down for going to the Bleeding Lamb tonight, hehe,” Minhyuk replied, his voice timid and a little giggly. Jooheon exhaled slowly, but replied anyway. 

“Hyung, we’ve been going every other night for a whole week now- did you really have to call and ask me that?” Jooheon replied, and Minhyuk giggled again, this time sounding a little more amused.

“Well, aren’t _you_ excited? Cause _I’m_ pretty freaking eager to see my pretty little human again, I dunno about you,” Minhyuk accused, and Jooheon nodded, glancing back out the window. Ever since their first meeting when Minhyuk had fed on Changkyun (the other human stripper who worked alongside Kihyun and Hoseok), he’d been practically obsessed with the boy. He was relentlessly sexual with him, and did just about every single thing to Changkyun that Jooheon had been trying to resist the urge to do to Kihyun.

“No, I am, hyung,” Jooheon replied, sparking a low hum from the other end of the line. “I was just already sure we were going later anyway,” Jooheon continued, wondering why he was even bothering to explain this to Minhyuk.

“Well, we are, heh,” Minhyuk cheekily replied, and then continued, popping what Jooheon could swear was bubblegum right into the microphone. “I’ll be there at the usual time,” he continued, and Jooheon smacked his lips.

“Alright, I’ll see you later,” Jooheon said, already moving to hang up the phone. 

“Bye bye!!” Jooheon could hear Minhyuk cheerily call out as he hung up. Locking his phone and tossing it onto the couch, Jooheon sighed, shaking his head. Just what would he do with that boy? Knowing that, as always, Minhyuk was a hopeless cause, Jooheon walked back over to his broom, deciding to just finish up his cleaning. Minhyuk would be over in a few hours, and he needed to get this place in perfect condition and shower before them. With that fueling him, Jooheon started blasting some music from his speakers in the corner of the room, and grabbed his broom, sweeping with the sounds of his favorite musicians there to inspire him.

 

* * *

 

The typical loud, thumping club music of the Bleeding Lamb had become white noise in the back of Jooheon’s head- so accustomed to the sound it barely even registered as he took a seat. Not wanting to hog Kihyun all to himself, and potentially mess with the business-side of the club, Jooheon, as well as Minhyuk, had begun sitting a little farther back from the stage to help resist the temptation to feed on their human every visit. Despite the logical reason behind this, both vampires found it increasingly difficult to hold back, especially during the feeding part of the night.

Jooheon exhaled languidly, watching with tiger-like eyes as Kihyun grasped the pole between his thighs, leaning his body back beautifully and stretching, completely in the air and using only his legs as leverage. Jooheon felt his breath catch in his throat, and his eyes grow hazy with admiration and attraction. He honestly could say that there was no other being in existence as eye-catching and alluring as Kihyun was while performing on stage. As always, Kihyun managed to find Jooheon in the crowd, and they made eye-contact, Kihyun spinning slowly around the pole, a tiny smirk set on his face.

Feeling his fangs come out just from the tiniest bit of interaction, Jooheon flustered slightly, licking the side of one of his fangs absently as he continued to watch Kihyun dance. He’d never had his fangs extend from only watching someone dance before; Kihyun could seriously bring out things in him that nothing else could. 

Finding himself oddly… okay with this, Jooheon watched as Kihyun demounted from the pole, his small hands running over his leather harness-covered torso, trailing down to his tight leather pants. The human touched his hips, his fingers skirting temptingly over his cute little ass before moving back to the front of his pants, unbuttoning and unzipping them fluidly. Jooheon swallowed thickly, his eyes burning hot as he watches the way Kihyun tries to wiggle out of those sinful pants. 

Pushing the waistband of the pants down his hips, Kihyun bent over, pulling them off his feet and, as he was now totally pantsless, he flashed the audience a fantastic view of his ass. Eyes widening, Jooheon notices that there’s nothing covering the boy’s ass at all. There’s no way he’s not wearing underwear, right? Trailing his gaze down, Jooheon breathes a sigh of relief, seeing that the underwear did exist, there was just a giant opening for the butt, meaning that if Kihyun were to bend over or sit in Jooheon’s lap then… Jooheon swallowed thickly, unable to resist the deep, pleased groan from slipping from his lips.

Beside him, Minhyuk chuckled, shaking his head. The wardrobe choices for tonight were absolutely divine, and Changkyun was also in a particularly skimpy outfit, so he understood that reaction. Jooheon’s aura spiked beside him, and Minhyuk glanced over, noticing the faint white light radiating from Jooheon’s body. Deciding to just let him live, Minhyuk redirected his gaze back to the stage, watching with rapt eyes as the humans started walking out into the crowd. 

Typically, the humans would walk around the club, letting a vampire get a few sips before moving onto another one, until they had reached their quota for the night. That first night they’d participated, Jooheon had damn near sucked Kihyun dry so Kihyun didn’t end up going around the club, but, much to Jooheon’s frustration, that hasn’t been the case since then. Having to watch Kihyun crawl into the laps of shady-looking vampires and make such erotic expressions while getting his blood drank by a creature other than Jooheon was admittedly difficult to watch.

Kihyun was only on his second vampire of the night, but Jooheon’s blood was boiling under his skin. He could feel his aura flaring brighter and hotter, but didn’t care anymore, his gaze pointed hard at the pathetic vampire kissing the skin on Kihyun’s neck. Kihyun didn’t appear to be enjoying it too much, but was still allowing the disgusting display of affection to continue. Parting his lips and raising his upper lip to display his fangs, Jooheon growled, the sound low and primal. He couldn’t stand watching this any longer, and luckily for him, the scum with his shitty little romance tactics cut the crap and finally started sucking Kihyun’s blood.

Darting his eyes to the side, Jooheon frowned, trying not to let the sight get to him too much. He knew that this was a part of Kihyun’s job, and how they met, but he couldn’t help but get frustrated every time he had to witness it for himself. While Kihyun was busy, Jooheon flickered his gaze over at Minhyuk, noticing the surprisingly calm expression on the vampire’s face as he watched his favorite human get fed on by other vampires. Scrunching his eyebrows together in confusion, Jooheon asked him about it. 

“How can you watch that?” he asked, frowning slightly. Minhyuk tore his eyes away from Changkyun, and then looked over at Jooheon, busting out into laughter at the bitter expression on his friend’s face.

“It’s because I claimed him, Jooheony bee,” Minhyuk explained, reaching his hand out to pet Jooheon’s shoulder consolingly. “If you did that with your shark, then you’d feel a lot better,” he continued, his eyes half-lidded in a mischievous, almost conspiratorial look, revealing such juicy information casually. Jooheon leaned back, eyes widening in surprise.

“What? When did you claim him?” Jooheon asked, his eyes wide. For him to have claimed Changkyun, it meant that the human would’ve had to drink some of Minhyuk’s blood. Even though it was relatively simple, it actually left more of a permanent imprint than most humans were probably aware of. All other vampires would be able to sense Minhyuk’s presence in Changkyun’s blood for at least a few weeks, and, since Minhyuk was an aristocrat like Jooheon, it was particularly potent.

In response to Jooheon’s question, Minhyuk merely shrugged, redirecting his attention to his favorite little human, a small smirk still set on his features. Jooheon rolled his eyes at the typical behavior, deciding to just ask the vampire about it later in private, when there wasn’t absurdly loud music and tons of other creatures present. Flashing his gaze over to Kihyun, he watched the human mount another vampire’s lap, giving him a small lap-dance before baring his neck.

Truthfully, Kihyun wished he could just march straight back to Jooheon’s seat and not mess with any of these other vampires. To have his blood drank by Jooheon again… Kihyun craved it so much it drove him crazy. Kihyun had never felt such an intense, passionate sensation before and these other vampires couldn’t even compare to the wildness and sheer power that Jooheon possessed. As the vampire finishes lapping up the last of Kihyun’s spilt blood, Kihyun gets up, his eyes flickering over to Jooheon. 

Jooheon hadn’t fed on him once since their first meeting. Surely he hadn’t lost interest in Kihyun already? Kihyun swallowed thickly, his lips parting as he observed the state that Jooheon was currently in- namely, the undeniable white light emanating from his body. Kihyun had never encountered a vampire that did that before, but he could feel its energy from here, and he’d gathered from their first meeting that it meant arousal and power: everything Kihyun wanted to be feeling from Jooheon. Mesmerized under Jooheon’s intensity, Kihyun became froze on the spot, unable to move or even think until the vampire raised his hand, gesturing for Kihyun to come to him.

Walking towards him with slow steps, Kihyun approached Jooheon’s seat, lowering himself onto the vampire’s lap. He could feel the eyes of everyone in the club on them- probably due to Jooheon’s aura, and Kihyun swallowed, trying to tune them all out. The way Jooheon looked at him was like pure, concentrated emotion and dark intent, and Kihyun felt his arousal hike up further, his eyes getting unfocused as his cheeks flushed.

Now with Kihyun in such close proximity, Jooheon noticed all of the bite marks on the human from the other vampires he’d seen that night. The bites would heal within a day or so, due to the healing salve they used at the club that Kihyun had explained to him a few days ago, so Jooheon had never seen Kihyun covered in the marks of other vampires so closely… and he absolutely hated it. Kihyun’s flawless, flushed skin covered in the spit and markings of such lowlife, peasant vampires- Jooheon clenched his jaw, his eyes flaring bright white in uncontrollable rage. 

Jooheon never wanted to see Kihyun’s body tainted by another creature ever again. He never wanted to see such a gorgeous, cunning man so openly marked by somebody other than himself. Snarling to display his fangs, Jooheon’s eyes flickered darkness and mystery as he stared up into Kihyun’s eyes, his face dark in the low lighting. The beautiful, erotic face that greeted his eyes startled Jooheon, and he growled, his desire to claim the human mounting.

Swallowing heavily, Kihyun tilted his chin, baring his neck for Jooheon to bite. The amount that he craved Jooheon’s fangs sinking into his flesh was unbearable, and Kihyun slipped out a moan, his cheeks flushing and heart racing in his chest. He could feel himself getting aroused, just from the thought, and he whimpered, pressing his bare ass onto Jooheon’s lap. The tension continued racking up, and Kihyun barely opened his eyes, gaze lazily flickering around the room and noticing that every single person in the club had their eyes on them.

Unable to resist his biggest temptation any longer, Jooheon bared his fangs further, before rapidly lowering them onto the softest part of Kihyun’s neck, sinking them deep into Kihyun’s flesh and holding it there, reveling in the way Kihyun’s warmth felt all around his fangs. Pulling back and eagerly lapping up his blood, Jooheon groaned, tasting that tart, addictive flavor completely unique to Kihyun, and it was just as delectable as he remembered. Above him, Kihyun writhed and moaned, overwhelmed by how rough and aggressive Jooheon was with him, how smooth his lips felt brushing against his skin. 

Eyes widening in surprise as he feels Jooheon’s lips press seductive, deliciously sensual kisses along the flank of his neck, Kihyun stumbles out another moan, hands gripping Jooheon for stability. Jooheon wasn’t just feeding on him anymore, all the blood was likely licked away, but he hadn’t parted from Kihyun, instead making quite the show in front of the whole club. With this thought, Kihyun smiled breathlessly, a touch of pride welling up at the knowledge that the most powerful vampire he’d ever met was kissing his neck with delicate, soft lips. It was a huge boost to his pride, and Kihyun was getting addicted to the feeling of Jooheon’s undivided attention.

Now high on Kihyun’s blood and mesmerized by the way his skin felt beating and warm beneath his lips, Jooheon felt the undeniable need to claim him. He didn’t want a single other vampire to taste Kihyun’s beautiful blood without sensing Jooheon’s influence in it. Body going crazy with blood-dazed, vaguely aroused thoughts, Jooheon growled, his body tensing and pressing closer against Kihyun’s, his lips parting in thick, deep pants. He wanted to claim him so badly it became the only thought in his mind, his eyes slowly moving up Kihyun’s neck to stare into his eyes, blood still dripping down his chin. 

“I wish to claim you,” Jooheon simply stated, wrapping up the flurry of intense desires he was feeling into that one plain sentence. He hoped that Kihyun could feel the sentiment behind each word, and, judging by the look of wide-eyed shock that passed over Kihyun’s face, Jooheon figured the boy got the picture. 

“Claim… _me_?” Kihyun asked, the club music practically muted in his ears as Jooheon’s words echoed in his head. Kihyun knew what being claimed would entail… and how obvious it would be for every client he’d face if he agreed to it. Heart pounding and cheeks on fire as he stared down at Jooheon’s face, Kihyun couldn’t find a single thing wrong with saying yes at all. He wanted to feel that rush, to have Jooheon inside him… 

“Yes,” Jooheon replied to the question, watching the emotions pass over Kihyun’s face with rapt attention. He could see that little sparkle in his eyes, that undeniable want for Jooheon to openly and physically claim him, right here and now.

“I want you to,” Kihyun replied, his voice soft but resolute. Jooheon was special- he made Kihyun feel so much different than every other creature he’d ever encountered. He wanted it so bad it ached, and if it meant sharing something closer to Jooheon than just client-customer relations, than Kihyun was all for it.

Snarling, Jooheon nodded, concentrating all of his energy as he bit into the veins on his wrist, creating a huge gash, blood dripping from his arm. Kihyun swallowed nervously, parting his lips as Jooheon raised his wrist to the boy’s mouth- for Kihyun to drink it. Kihyun had never drank blood, whether human or vampire, and the visual was definitely pretty nasty, he could admit that. But oddly enough, he was morbidly intrigued by the thought of actually drinking it- his body quickly moving forward to lap at Jooheon’s wrist.

The flavor of vampire blood was entirely different than human blood- and Kihyun found the taste to be surprisingly delicious. It was strong, like something acidic, but as it hit the back of Kihyun’s throat, the flavor transformed into what Kihyun could only describe as pure, unfiltered energy. Moaning against Jooheon’s wrist, Kihyun sucked down gulp after gulp, his entire body trembling from the strength and vitality that was coursing through his veins.

Realistically, Jooheon knew he shouldn’t let Kihyun drink too much of his blood. He only needed a drop to be claimed by Jooheon, but he couldn’t bear to tell the boy to stop, not when he was enjoying it so… vocally. Was Kihyun always this vocal when he felt good? His moans and noises were like music in Jooheon’s ears, so melodic they cascaded like ripples down Jooheon’s spine. 

All good things must come to an end, however, and Jooheon could tell that Kihyun wasn’t going to stop on his own any time soon. Moving his wrist away from Kihyun’s mouth, Jooheon sighed deeply, feeling light-headed for just a few seconds until his blood regenerated and his wound sealed up. Breathing hot and heavy, Kihyun blinked a few times, blood splattered across his cheeks and dripping in thick drops from his chin.

He’d never felt so strong in his life, so full of life and vigor that Kihyun felt completely on top of the world. Deep inside him was the powerful, hot white energy he’d felt from Jooheon so many times. He could physically sense it inside him, feel it pounding and rippling in his very core. Staring hotly into Jooheon’s eyes, Kihyun smiled, breathlessly and radiantly, feeling closer to another creature than he’d ever had in his life.

To lock gazes with Kihyun while both were filled with the power of each other’s blood was a startlingly raw and honest feeling for Jooheon. To be with this human, whom he’d only known for a mere blink of his lifetime, so intimately close and in ways that transcended any fleshly desire… well, it was something that Jooheon had never experienced. He’d felt love before, yes, but this was something different. Kihyun never failed to make Jooheon question the limits of his own feelings.

Unable to iterate proper thoughts and feelings, Jooheon reached his hands out, running his fingers along Kihyun’s shoulders, feeling the muscle tighten under his grip. There were probably a hundred eyes on them right now, but Kihyun’s eyes boring into his own were more full of emotion than all of them combined. 

Kihyun leaned his face down, his lips parting in a shaky exhale, their bodies so close they were almost touching. His fingers trailed up Jooheon’s arms, and he couldn’t seem to take his eyes away from the beautiful, blood-covered lips of this vampire, and how pretty and pouty they were. Tilting his chin up, Jooheon’s eyes slipped half-closed, and he could feel Kihyun’s warm breath tickling the skin of his face. Their faces were so close now, merely centimeters apart, and Kihyun’s lips were entirely too kissable for his own good, if Jooheon didn’t watch himself he just might—

Kihyun’s warm, slightly damp forehead bumped against Jooheon’s, and Kihyun sighed, the feeling of Jooheon’s cool skin against his own relaxing and stabilizing. The amount of self-restraint it took to not crash his lips against Jooheon’s was incredible, and Kihyun found himself panting slightly from how hard he was holding himself back. At least he had contact with Jooheon somehow… but he knew it wasn’t enough.

Beneath him, Jooheon exhaled slowly, glad that Kihyun hadn’t kissed him- so they could have a proper first kiss somewhere more private, but he also couldn’t help but wonder why Kihyun didn’t just outright do it. It was obvious that they both wanted it, but Kihyun held back. Maybe he’d figure out why sometime later, but for now, Jooheon gripped Kihyun’s shoulders tighter as he inhaled Kihyun’s scent, feeling the man all around him.

A change in music suddenly alerted the two embracing men that the show was now officially over. The lights changed, and now a deep, purple hue darkened the club and pushed the two men into more darkness and privacy. All of the vampires around them began moving around, and the dancefloor to the left of them became crowded with dancing creatures. Figuring this was probably their cue, Jooheon exhaled slowly, moving away from Kihyun centimeter by centimeter. 

“I think the show is over now,” Jooheon stated, not wanting to interfere with Kihyun’s work. Despite how much he wanted to keep Kihyun all to himself, Jooheon didn’t want to be a nuisance for the human. Kihyun frowned a little, nodding his head and making his gray hair fall into his eyes.

“I should probably get changed and clean up,” Kihyun said, a tiny bit of awkwardness rising in his chest. They were surrounded by prying eyes, and here Kihyun was, mostly naked in bondage gear and with blood dripping from his chin… from getting claimed by a vampire in the middle of his work. Jooheon nodded, starting to calm down from the bloodlust.

“I’ll be staying at the club, come see me after you get changed,” Jooheon requested, his gaze almost pleading as he stared up into Kihyun’s face. He didn’t want this interaction to end with Kihyun so soon, especially not after the bond they shared now. Kihyun smiled, his cheeks turning pink as he processed the invitation. 

“I’ll be right back then, meet me at the bar?” Kihyun asked, prying himself off of Jooheon’s lap and stumbling slightly as he stood. He felt a little wobbly at first, but the longer he stood, the more he could feel Jooheon’s power giving him strength from the inside. Breathing in deeply, Kihyun smiled, his eyes sparkling with an emotion that only Jooheon could immediately place.

“I’ll be there waiting,” Jooheon promised, smiling slightly as he gazed into the stunning human’s face, still trying to pull himself together. He wiped his chin with the back of his hand, attempting to clean off the blood as sufficiently as possible. Kihyun smiled, laughing mirthfully as he began walking away, shooting Jooheon a cute wave as he made it into the crowd.

Waving back until he could no longer see Kihyun, Jooheon leaned back into his chair, his mind still going crazy from everything he’d just done… no, everything _they’d_ just done. Shaking his head, Jooheon got up from his chair, walking with slow, unhurried steps as he made his way over to the bar. He had a date to attend to.


	4. Attachments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAH IM SO SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS TOOK TT
> 
> Life has been so crazy lately and I need to devote my complete and utter concentration when writing Mortal Virtues, so I just haven't had much time to work on it. 
> 
> Hopefully everyone likes the update and is happy with how the plot is progressing! Next chapter is going to be very plot heavy and introducing the main conflict of this story, so I hope you're all looking forward to it!
> 
> Thank you for your patience, and enjoy! <3

“Can I get you anything, sir?” the bartender asked, his voice polite and lilting as he stared over at Jooheon. Sitting down onto the barstool, Jooheon pondered the thought, glancing over at the well-dressed man behind the bar for a few seconds before replying.

“Just a glass of red wine, please,” Jooheon replied, and the bartender quickly grabbed the proper glass and the finest bottle he could locate. Normally, Jooheon wasn’t one for drinking, since vampires really had no use for it, and in high vampire society it was seen as unbecoming, but lately he’d started to realize that letting loose and breaking a rule or two was much more fun than just mindlessly obeying. Taking the glass as it was handed to him, Jooheon glanced over, taking a small sip as he recognized a few vampires sitting down at the bar beside him.

“Ah! Jooheon-ah!” a tan-skinned vampire called out, his asymmetric dark hair falling into one eye as he waved over at Jooheon. There was another vampire beside him, one whom Jooheon had only encountered once and wasn’t properly introduced to, but if his hunch was right…

“Hello Hyunwoo-ssi, and you must be Hyungwon-ah?” Jooheon greeted, smiling politely at the two men. Hyunwoo was a much older vampire than Jooheon, and while he wasn’t an aristocrat like Jooheon, he was endlessly kind and welcoming beyond any aristocrat Jooheon had ever met. And beside him, clad in a dark brown button-down with a purple tie, was Hyungwon. From their first, very fleeting, encounter, Jooheon had the impression that Hyungwon was a baby vampire, and now that he was seeing him up close- he was sure of it.  

“Yes, I’m Hyungwon. Hyung told me that you’re with Kihyun?” Hyungwon prompted, smiling as he reached his hand over, shaking Jooheon’s. “From what I saw tonight, it seems like you two have quite the bond~” he continued, chuckling a bit. Jooheon’s eyes widened in surprise, and he dropped his hold on Hyungwon’s hand, laughing a bit in embarrassment.

“Are you friends with Kihyun-ssi?” Jooheon asked, trying to direct the conversation somewhere a bit less awkward. Hyungwon hummed, his hand running along Hyunwoo’s shoulders as he pondered just how he’d respond.

“We went to high school together,” Hyungwon offered, pouting his lips as he thought about how he’d reply to the actual question. Understanding his predicament, Hyunwoo spoke for his boyfriend, his hand curling around the thinner man’s knee as he looked into Jooheon’s eyes.

“They’re friends, they just bicker like cats and mice,” Hyunwoo replied, and Hyungwon nodded his head in agreement, casually playing with the collar of Hyunwoo’s silk shirt.

“Kihyun being the mouse, of course,” Hyungwon offered, laughing to himself. Feeling his face darken in a possessive sense of responsibility, Jooheon clenched his jaw, not liking the way Hyungwon was speaking about his Kihyun. As if sensing his discomfort, Hyungwon straightened his back, blinking a few times.

“I’m only joking, of course,” he explained, and Jooheon nodded his head, taking a sip of his wine while he tried to collect himself. Hyungwon seemed like a nice person, he was just rubbing Jooheon the wrong way since he spoke about Kihyun so disrespectfully.

“So what made you decide to get turned?” Jooheon prompted, trying to change the subject before he said something uncouth to Hyungwon. “It’s obvious that you’re new,” he continued, hoping his tone wasn’t too bitter. Hyungwon blinked a few times, glancing over at Hyunwoo for support.

“Well… Hyunwoo is the love of my life, I want to be with him forever” Hyungwon began, and Jooheon blinked, a little surprised by the honest, pure confession. “Since he is a vampire, naturally I would have to get turned to stay with him eternally,” he continued, absently playing with the back of Hyunwoo’s head, his eyes bashfully staring over at Jooheon. “Of course, I love Hoseok equally, but he isn’t ready to leave his life as a human just yet,” Hyungwon continued, and Hyunwoo nodded, confirming this statement.

“That’s beautiful,” Jooheon said, finding their commitment to be both admirable and utterly romantic. Hyungwon smiled bashfully, his eyes darting over to Hyunwoo’s as he stared at the love of his eternal life. Hyunwoo rubbed his hand across Hyungwon’s knee, their bodies literally pressed together. Jooheon’s heart surged at the public affection, feeling a pang of jealousy for some reason.

“Will you be turning your human as well?” Hyunwoo asked Jooheon, removing himself slightly from Hyungwon as he asked the vampire an honest question. Taking another sip of his wine, Jooheon looked away, his chest tightening at the sudden and unexpected question. Not sure how to reply, Jooheon takes another sip, clearly frazzled.

“Aish, hyung, don’t ask somebody something so personal out of the blue,” Hyungwon chastised, saving Jooheon from a potentially awkward conversation. Shooting the vampire a look of gratitude, Jooheon set down his now half-empty glass.

“Sorry,” Hyunwoo sheepishly apologized, but Jooheon waved him off, smiling over at the older vampire.

“It’s okay, I’m not offended by it,” Jooheon assured him, even though he kinda was. Hyunwoo smiled, and Jooheon noticed just how adorably Buddha-like that smile was. Seeing the way Hyungwon’s eyes widened and a giant smile passed over his features as he looked somewhere behind Jooheon, Jooheon turned around, spotting a familiar human making his way across the club. 

Sauntering over to the group was Hoseok, holding his signature bunny bag and dressed in casual wear. As he noticed his two boyfriends, his face broke out into the brightest, most innocent smile Jooheon had ever seen, and he gave the two a huge hug when he got to them. Now with his human boyfriend in such close proximity, Hyungwon felt his restraint slip away, and he snarled, his fangs fully extended and eyes darkening in lust and hunger. The atmosphere took a sudden, and very dark turn, and Jooheon lurched up in his chair, unsure if he should step in considering how ravenous Hyungwon was acting, even if it was towards his boyfriend.  Hyungwon reached forward, his long fingers curling around Hoseok’s powerful shoulders as he widened his mouth, clearly about to bite the man, a broken, choppy growl dripping from his lips. His eyes were wide and blown out in hunger, and the look in his gaze was frighteningly intense. Jooheon had never seen a baby vampire behave so strongly just from the presence of a human before, especially not one he was already acquainted with. The feelings and attraction he has for Hoseok must be beyond anything Jooheon could possibly think of fathoming.

“Calm down, Hyungwon,” Hyunwoo commanded, his voice powerful and clear, just as Hyungwon was about to sink his fangs into Hoseok’s pale flesh. He obviously wasn’t upset with the over-excited vampire, but was exerting his power flawlessly to get Hyungwon back in the right frame of mind. “We’re still in public, just take a deep breath,” Hyunwoo continued, his voice taking a softer, warmer tone as he worked to get his boyfriend under control. Hyungwon inhaled deeply, but Jooheon could clearly see just how close he was to completely ravaging the red-haired man, his chest heaving in labored pants.

Hoseok smiled nervously, taking a step back and flushing in embarrassment. Sometimes he forgot just how much of a temptation he was for his vampire boyfriends, especially Hyungwon, who was still trying to learn how to keep his desires in check... Jooheon blinked a few times, a little taken aback by how interesting their dynamic was. It was a good thing Hyungwon had Hyunwoo there to guide him through his early years as a vampire, but it must be hard to be around his tempting human boyfriend… Jooheon shook his head, turning to face the employee lounge as he felt like he’d oddly intruded on a personal moment. Just as he was gazing that way, he spotted Kihyun walking towards him looking more stunning than ever.

“Jooheony!” Kihyun called out, waving to Jooheon from across the club. Blinking a few times as he processed the cute nickname, Jooheon shyly smiled, his eyes flickering down to the surface of the bar as Kihyun neared closer to him. 

“How are you doing, Kihyun…” Jooheon began, attempting to leave off any honorifics. “-Ssi?” Jooheon added, chickening out at the last second. Giggling at the cute reply, Kihyun leaned against the counter of the bar, setting down the sensible bag he was holding with him for a few seconds while he chatted with Jooheon.

“I’m feeling pretty damn good, actually, and how about you?” Kihyun asked, his eyes staring exclusively at Jooheon despite the fact that he had three of his close friends not even a foot away from him. Jooheon, noticing this fact, flusters slightly, wondering why Kihyun was only acknowledging _him_.

“Very good,” Jooheon replied, nodding to himself. He knew he probably had no reason to feel awkward about the situation, but the direct, definitely flirtatious look in Kihyun’s eye as he sexily leaned against the counter while they were both sitting _right beside_ Kihyun’s friends… well, it certainly made Jooheon feel a tiny bit embarrassed. 

“That’s great~ I was actually about to head home soon, um… would you be interested in walking back with me?” Kihyun offered, his heart thudding incessantly in his ears. He’d asked out plenty of people before, and verbally asked to do much more intimate things with people that he knew far less, but there was something about Jooheon that made Kihyun feel the need to do everything right. He didn’t want to say anything offensive to the vampire, or overstep any boundaries.

“I would love to, but how far do you live? The sun will be rising soon,” Jooheon asked, wishing he could just spend time with Kihyun without having to worry about severe physical pain but… he kinda had to ask. Kihyun’s eyes widened and he made a small gasp, pressing a hand to the side of his face in regret.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Kihyun apologized, his cheeks tinged pink and a nervous smile on his face. “But I live around 15 minutes away? I understand if you can’t join me, but I… I’d really like to spend time with you,” Kihyun continued, his voice trailing off at the end. Jooheon had been a constant at his club for a while now, and yet Kihyun had barely been able to talk to the man for more than a few minutes after his shift ended, simply because it ended so late at night. Kihyun wanted to learn more about this powerful, stunning man. 

“I think I could do that,” Jooheon said, too flattered by Kihyun’s genuine intentions to say no. He’d find a way to get home intact in that amount of time for sure, and besides, Kihyun was worth the risk. Visibly brightening, Kihyun jumped up, excitedly grabbing a hold of Jooheon’s wrist to drag him out of the club. Smiling at the haste of a mortal, Jooheon quickly got up from his chair, but didn’t walk away just yet, instead hovering beside Hyunwoo and his lovers for a few moments to say goodbye.

“I’ll see you again soon, Hyunwoo-ssi, and it was lovely meeting you Hyungwon-ah,” Jooheon said, giving a short nod to Hoseok as well, not quite comfortable conversing with the human just yet. Smiling, Hyunwoo gave him a small wave, and Hyungwon chuckled, shaking his head at everything he’d just witnessed.

“I’ve never seen Kihyun so interested in another person before, I know I’ll see you around here again,” Hyungwon said, his lips quirking up in a friendly smile. Flustering at how genuine Hyungwon’s words were, Jooheon nodded his head, swallowing dryly. Unsure of what else to say, Jooheon merely began walking away, waving at the group of men as he made his way out of the club.

Walking out onto the mostly dark street, Jooheon inhaled deeply, his gaze flickering over to Kihyun’s. He’d never been with Kihyun outside the club before, and it felt like new territory he was excited to explore. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time; being a 90-something year old vampire and all, it was rare to experience something truly new and thrilling. Kihyun gave him a gentle smile, and then began leading the two down the street. Silence overcame them for the first few minutes of their walk, and Jooheon took this time to reflect on the beauty of amicable silence, and just how nice it felt to be somewhere quiet with such an interesting man. The streets were mostly empty at this hour, as usually vampires were back in their lairs and humans were still asleep, so it was just Kihyun and Jooheon, completely alone together.

Glancing over at the human, Jooheon observed his clothes, finding something charming about the oversized hoodie and jeans he was currently wearing. He looked so… boyfriend… it made Jooheon’s metaphorical heart pound, his eyes roaming over the side of Kihyun’s face. He looked beautiful in the dim lighting of the street, something so effortless about his makeup-free face and casual wear, but as Jooheon continued staring at the boy, he began to notice something a little off on his neck: there was only one pair of fang-marks. From what Jooheon remembered, there were three men that bit his neck on that side tonight, but there was only one bite still visible. Scrunching his eyebrows together, Jooheon slowed his pace, eagerness swelling up in his chest.

“Only one bite is on your neck,” Jooheon stated, not quite questioning it but still obviously confused by his observation. Kihyun blinked, his cheeks dusting a tell-tale shade of red as he nervously wrung his hands together.

“Ah, yeah… just one is still there,” Kihyun agreed, knowing that Jooheon would need more information. “I put the healing salve on the other two, but um,” he paused, his throat constricted with embarrassment as he said the rest of his sentence. “I decided to… leave… yours…” Kihyun concluded, laughing a bit as he tried and failed to brush it off like it was no big deal.

“Oh,” was all Jooheon could muster out, bringing his hand to his face and covering his mouth, trying not to let Kihyun see how happy he was after learning that. “I-I see,” he continued, unsure if he should prompt Kihyun further or just let it be. Swallowing thickly, Jooheon flickered his eyes back over to Kihyun, startled by the flush across his cheeks and the subtle way he was biting his lip. Jooheon knew he couldn’t just let it slide anymore, and reached his hand down, gently grabbing onto Kihyun’s soft hand.  

“I’m glad you kept mine,” Jooheon said, his voice radiating honesty and emotion, and Kihyun felt a smile grow across his face. Truthfully, Kihyun was a little worried that Jooheon might’ve taken Kihyun’s gesture the wrong way, or even thought it was creepy, but luckily Jooheon interpreted it exactly as how intended.

“After what we shared, I couldn’t help but want to keep a physical reminder of it,” Kihyun admitted, intertwining their fingers and feeling the soothing cool of Jooheon’s touch resonate throughout his entire being. Jooheon’s touch calmed him down, making Kihyun feel a sense of love and trust unlike any other. Continuing to walk down the street, Kihyun suddenly took a left turn, taking the two down a different street and likely in the direction of his home. Now that Kihyun had reminded him of what happened at the club a while ago, Jooheon hummed, a question popping back up at the sudden memories.

“Actually, speaking of that,” Jooheon began, lightly swinging his and Kihyun’s conjoined hands. “After I’d claimed you, why didn’t you, um, kiss me?” Jooheon asked, a little embarrassed to state it so plainly but his curiosity was killing him. The passion that was circling in the air around them at that moment was so sensual it was almost suffocating, but neither had made that final push towards kissing each other. It was strange, how even though they weren’t dating, Jooheon still felt like they should’ve kissed in that moment. Kihyun was an intoxicating human- one that made Jooheon feel all sorts of things that didn’t make sense.

“Oh!” Kihyun exclaimed, his heart pounding so loud he could actually hear it. “I was pretty intense back then, wasn’t I?” He’d been so overwhelmed by the feeling of vampire blood pounding through his body that he almost didn’t have the self-restraint to hold back from fucking Jooheon, let alone _kissing_ him, but he’d somehow managed. Apparently there was still a rational part of him deep inside that knew that what Kihyun wanted wasn’t just fast love. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” Kihyun added, for some reason feeling the need to say that despite how Jooheon didn’t seem the slightest bit uncomfortable.

“It’s okay, you didn’t, I was just wondering. It seemed like a very… intimate moment. After everything we’d shared, I was surprised that you drew the line _there_ ,” Jooheon explained, hoping to bring clarity to his reason for asking the awkward question. As he spoke, he could see the sky becoming a few shades lighter, turning into an indigo shade. Birds were chirping, and Jooheon licked his lips, comprehending that his time with Kihyun was about to run out. Kihyun hummed thoughtfully, squeezing Jooheon’s hand and internally reveling in the feeling of sharing such a couple-y moment with the vampire.

“I guess I just wanted to do it right,” Kihyun said, and Jooheon’s eyes widened, staring at Kihyun as he spoke. “I didn’t want to share that first kiss with the hundreds of vampires around us,” Kihyun added, hoping he didn’t sound too cheesy. Relationships were hard, especially at this stage- Kihyun was constantly at war with himself about what to say and not say, but the more he got to know Jooheon, the more he realized that truth was typically the best answer.

“I feel the same way,” Jooheon replied, his voice soft as he thought about Kihyun’s words over and over, repeating the cadence and delivery of every letter Kihyun said to him. They truly felt the same about the other, every feeling mirrored beautifully in the other’s eyes. Jooheon smiled softly, sharing a meaningful look with Kihyun as they continued walking towards Kihyun’s house.

The silence that passed over them was so calm and comfortable that Jooheon almost didn’t notice when the sun started rising on the horizon, painting the city in shades of warmth and energy, breathing life onto the once flat scenery. Kihyun took a few excited steps towards a flowering dogwood tree, reaching up to gently touch the delicate white petals. A sense of peace overcame Jooheon’s body, and he inhaled sharply, watching the sunlight begin to fall onto Kihyun’s beautiful, and painfully mortal, flesh. He looked stunning, his gray hair sparkling like angel wings in the sunshine, and when he turned around, Jooheon felt his breath catch in his throat. A creature of the sun, radiating vivacity and passion and undeniable strength stared back at him, his eyes so dark and deep that they drew Jooheon in, intoxicating him and startling him at the same time. A thought raced into Jooheon’s mind, and his chest ached with an influx of negative thoughts.

“Kihyun-ssi, why do you devote your life to serving vampires?” Jooheon asked, his voice thick and serious, stepping back into the shadow of the building behind him, his eyes staring unwaveringly at Kihyun, his body beginning to feel weak. “You are so beautiful in the daytime, why do you never spend time in the sun?” Jooheon continued, his voice not even stuttering as he compliments Kihyun, too focused on the purpose of his question to really feel embarrassed. Kihyun hummed softly, his cheeks warm and hair blowing softly in the breeze.

“There is no greater passion than the passion of a vampire,” Kihyun replied, plucking a twig from the branches of the tree, playing with the flowers as he stared resolutely into Jooheon’s eyes. “I’ve been with humans before- my ex was cold, and lifeless, and weak,” Kihyun said, emphasizing every word with a conviction that made Jooheon’s eyes widen. “I crave power and strength, and emotion, like no human could _ever_ provide me,” he continued, his voice confident. Jooheon felt the oddest surge of hope in his chest, and the vulnerability in Kihyun’s eyes resonated deep within Jooheon.

“I can see those things in _you_ ,” Kihyun concluded, his voice taking a softer tone as he stared over at Jooheon, watching the vampire step further into the shadow of the building as the sun rose higher into the sky. Jooheon’s head was throbbing at the daytime light, but he stood strong, his lips parting in a shaky exhale as he stared into Kihyun’s face. The light shining in Kihyun’s eyes, he looked so fragile to Jooheon, so frighteningly delicate it almost drove Jooheon to tears.

A sharp pang rushes through Jooheon’s head, and he knows that this one isn’t because of the sunlight. No, it was a different pain- an emotional one. Memories of Jooheon’s ex-fiancé flooded his mind, and he couldn’t help but feel like he was somehow betraying the man by looking at Kihyun like this- like he was the love of his immortal life or something. Slouching onto himself, Jooheon brings a hand to his face, conflicting feelings of love and guilt crashing together and leaving him feeling depressed and emotional.

Sensing this, Kihyun blinks a few times, shrinking up into himself as he starts wondering if he’d caused Jooheon’s sudden mood shift. Just a few seconds ago, he was calling him beautiful, and now that Kihyun had damn near confessed to the man, he shuts down? Kihyun was almost mad about it, but he couldn’t possibly feel anything but sympathy for Jooheon as he starts to realize Jooheon’s history and the things he’d told him the first night they’d met. Jooheon had gone through something terrible, and it wasn’t that long ago. It obviously still ate away at him, even if he put on the cool, professional act most of the time.

“I must… return to my dwelling, before my energy is sapped with the rising sun,” Jooheon suddenly declares, the awkward atmosphere dissipating as Kihyun chuckles at Jooheon’s odd wording. Walking closer to the shadow, Kihyun stares at Jooheon, reaching his hand out and rubbing Jooheon’s shoulder comfortingly.

“’Dwelling’? Hehe, just how old are you, Jooheon?” Kihyun asked, unable to resist the curiosity bubbling up. He desperately wanted to make things right between them, and bringing up something light would probably do the trick. It broke his heart watching Jooheon look so damaged. Shifting his eyes around, Jooheon swallowed, trying to ignore the swell of attraction as Kihyun stares at him with such an adorable gaze. 

“Um… well, I was 23 when I was turned,” Jooheon noncommittally answers, avoiding the topic of age so he wouldn’t make Kihyun feel uncomfortable. Kihyun hummed, finding it interesting that Jooheon wasn’t admitting to his actual age. He’d have to investigate more into that later.

“Oh? Then I guess that makes me your hyung~ hehe,” Kihyun said, a slight cockiness to his tone that brought an immediate smile to Jooheon’s face. Kihyun was so undeniably charming at times, it nearly drove Jooheon crazy.

“I suppose you are,” Jooheon said, clearing his throat before continuing, one foot already stepping away from Kihyun. “Hyung,” he hastily added, embarrassment evident in his voice as he takes another step away from the human, his ice blue eyes flickering with an unnamable, almost flirty look. Kihyun’s face breaks out into a huge smile, and he laughs brightly, raising his eyebrows as he watches Jooheon back away from him. 

“Get back home. I’ll see you at the club?” Kihyun said, half-asking, hoping he didn’t sound too terribly eager to see Jooheon again. Jooheon nodded once, his plump lips quirking up into a small smile.

“You will, hyung,” Jooheon said, before rushing out of Kihyun’s view, running through the shadows towards the south end of town. Kihyun felt a strong gust of wind, and then Jooheon’s presence was completely gone, leaving Kihyun breathless. Pushing a hand through his hair, Kihyun smiled fondly, straightening the strap of his bag as he continued his walk back to his apartment. Jooheon might’ve been a vampire, but he was far more alive than Kihyun had ever met, and he was falling for him hard.


	5. Relapses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAH I'm soooo sorry for how long this took me to upload! The plot thickens quite a bit in this chapter, so I hope you all like the direction I'm taking this! Plus the fic has exceeded 20k words now! And: some of you may have already noticed, but I updated the chapter numbers! There are going to be 2 more chapters, and then Mortal Virtues is complete!
> 
> Please let me know what you think in the comments below! <3

Flashing strobe lights fill the air with ever-changing flickers of bright red, dancing over the form of Changkyun as he twirled around the stripper pole, slender legs spread wide. Jooheon watched with half of his interest, his fingers toying with the metal ring attached to his keys, hip pressed against the corner of the bar. Kihyun had finished his solo show a few minutes ago and had promised to see Jooheon during his break, so Jooheon was just biding his time until he showed up. Glancing down at the floorboards, Jooheon slouched a little bit more, a tiny bit guilty about how little attention he was directing to the boy who was dancing his little heart out on stage… but the guilt only lasted a few fleeting moments. Jooheon had been visiting the Bleeding Lamb three times a week for nearly a month and a half now, and the only performer that could do it for him was Kihyun.

Just as he was about to order a drink out of sheer boredom, the door to the Employee’s Lounge opens and out walks Kihyun, dressed in his skimpy stage outfit with a faded blue hoodie on top. His lipstick covered lips curled up in a pleasant smile, and Jooheon’s chest tightens as he takes in just how gorgeous Kihyun looked, and how his happy expression was directed only at him. Removing himself from the bar, Jooheon walks to meet Kihyun half-way, blinking a few times in surprise when Kihyun grabs him by the forearm and begins dragging him to the Employee’s Lounge.

“Where are we going?” Jooheon half-yelled over the blaring club music currently accompanying Changkyun’s performance. Kihyun flashed a slightly-strained smile, the corners of his lips not quite convincing Jooheon of the sentiment usually associated with the expression. 

“I need some air,” Kihyun explains, pushing open the doors to the lounge, the almost familiar room reminding Jooheon of the first time they met. That night was intense- Jooheon was so raw and broken, the betrayal of his ex so fresh on his mind. He hadn’t been in this room since then, and just at the sight of those glaringly bright lights, Jooheon’s mind was filled with memories of his ex-fiancé. He tries to shake it away, telling himself that now wasn’t the time to think about it, but the negative feelings still lingered, even as Kihyun took them out the back entrance of the club.

“Sorry to just drag you out here without explaining,” Kihyun apologizes, rifling through the large front pocket of his hoodie after shutting the door behind them. Jooheon leans against the cool brick exterior of the building, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar alleyway casually as he listens to Kihyun. “The music is just so loud tonight, and I have a lot on my mind right now,” he continues, pulling out a thin cylindrical object from his pocket and bringing it to his lips. Jooheon’s eyes flicker over to the man, watching him intently as he inhales from the cylinder, and then exhales flowery-smelling smoke from his nose.

“It’s understandable, what are you doing?” Jooheon asks, scooting a little bit closer to Kihyun to further classify the smell. This definitely wasn’t a cigarette or a blunt, so what else could Kihyun be smoking? Chuckling a bit, Kihyun raises the object again to his lips, inhaling shallowly before exhaling, again through his nose. 

“It’s an essential oil diffuser- this one helps me relax,” he explained, and Jooheon nodded, picking up on the hints of ylang ylang in the air, which he understood to be a calming scent for many. “Do you want to try it?” Kihyun asked, extending the diffuser with a small, interested smile on his face. Jooheon’s eyebrows rose, and he shook his head, eyes flickering away shyly.

“No thank you,” he politely declined, straightening his posture as he reminded himself of why they were out there. “Do you wish to tell me about why you are stressed today?” Jooheon prompted, genuinely curious and concerned. Over the past few weeks, he’d gotten to know Kihyun pretty well. Stolen moments like these happened more frequently, and with each passing day they knew each other, Jooheon craved Kihyun’s presence more and more. If there was something going on in Kihyun’s life that Jooheon could help him with, he wanted to know.

Sighing heavily, Kihyun put away the diffuser, his black-rimmed eyes staring up at the night sky tiredly. “Well, my apartment building was bought out by a huge corporation that’s going to renovate the whole space into cubicles within the next few weeks,” Kihyun explained, tugging his lower lip between his teeth, expression turning tense just at the recollection of his current predicament. Jooheon’s eyes widen in surprise, and he instinctively brings a hand out to grasp Kihyun’s shoulder consolingly.

“I’m so sorry, Kihyun,” Jooheon said, not even caring that he dropped all honorifics. “This means that you’re looking for a new apartment, right?” he asked, but he had a feeling this wasn’t the end of Kihyun’s woes. Kihyun exhaled heavily, looking over at Jooheon with an exhausted expression.

“My landlord is pushing us to move out completely before next week. I’ve been living in this apartment for five years, and none of my family lives in Seoul,” Kihyun explained, running a hand through his hair. “It could be a worse situation, but I don’t have anywhere to go for the time being and I really don’t want to rent a storage unit,” he continued, straightening the bottoms of his latex shorts anxiously. “It’s just a little hard to focus on work when my apartment is about to be liquidated.” Kihyun laughed a little, but the mirth was sapped from his voice. The air wasn’t tense, but a cool breeze passed between them, and Jooheon couldn’t stop himself from speaking from his heart.

“I’m so sorry that you’re in this situation,” Jooheon began, which Kihyun waved the apology away, saying without words that it wasn’t Jooheon’s fault. “I have plenty of space in my apartment, so if you want to stay with me until you find a new place, I would be more than happy to offer you residence,” Jooheon said, trying to pick his words carefully. He didn’t want Kihyun to think he was suggesting they move in together, especially when they weren’t technically dating yet, but he couldn’t deny that the thought excited him despite the circumstance. To live with Kihyun, even for a few days, would be heaven. Kihyun visibly frazzled, his cheeks dusting pink at the mere notion of Jooheon’s words. His mind filled with images of him cooking eggs in the morning while kissing Jooheon goodnight—oh God, but here he was getting ahead of himself.

“Thank you so much for the offer, but I think I was being a bit melodramatic when I said I had nobody here,” Kihyun backtracked, laughing a bit awkwardly. “Changkyun lives pretty close to me, and we’ve known each other for years, so I think he wouldn’t mind letting me crash at his place for a few days. I don’t want to impose myself on you like this!” Kihyun said, laughing again, hopefully to dissipate the strange mood that was coming over them.

“Let me know if you decide to change your mind,” Jooheon replied, but his head was still jumbled up from the turn their conversation took. He was kinda glad that Kihyun said no, because now that he thought about it, he’d just broken up with his fiancé eight weeks ago. He’d never even lived with his _fiancé_ , let alone some human he’d barely known for two months… what was he thinking? Reminded again of his not-so-healed heartbreak, Jooheon leans against the bricks, absently listening to the muffled sound of the club music while looking into Kihyun’s face.

Not quite sensing the shift in Jooheon’s mood, Kihyun rethinks his words, his gaze languidly taking in Jooheon’s attractive face. Jooheon probably didn’t even think twice about offering Kihyun his home to live in, and with the way their relationship had been developing lately, Kihyun couldn’t help but think of the offer as romantic. Jooheon seemed to cherish him, he always delicately held him and hadn’t ever crossed any lines with him. Kihyun appreciated Jooheon, and he loved the intensity he displayed whenever he fed on Kihyun or watched him dance. He was… perfect. For Kihyun, at least.

Heart filling with sappy emotions, Kihyun leans a little closer to Jooheon, watching the small smile cross over Jooheon’s face. They’d done so much together, and they were both adults… so why hadn’t they kissed yet? Jooheon’s lips were so plump and tempting, Kihyun felt his body move on its own, and his mind couldn’t rationalize a reason to hold back any longer. This moment was perfect, in its own way, and Kihyun wanted to show his feelings for this vampire that’s made him feel so much.

The sky turned a slightly pinker shade, the stars all twinkling mysteriously, as always, and Kihyun pressed his lips against Jooheon’s for the first time ever. He held his lips there for a second, maybe two, before pulling away, his cheeks dusted pink and eyes filled with affection. Jooheon didn’t have the chance to react, but when he looked into Kihyun’s eyes, a flood of guilt suddenly filled him. His mind had been taken over by thoughts of his ex-fiancé, and now suddenly this human was kissing him?

“Kihyun…” Jooheon whispered out, his voice slightly raspy as he stared down at the shorter man. Kihyun ran a hand through his hair, laughing a bit to ease his own nerves. Jooheon wasn’t exactly reacting like he thought he would, and now the atmosphere was sticky and nervous.

“We talked about waiting for the right time to have our first kiss,” Kihyun began, licking his lips, his throat constricted with anxiety. It wasn’t like Jooheon was glaring at him, but he was quiet, contemplative. It made Kihyun’s mind go straight to the worst possible outcome. “I just thought…” his voice trailed off, unsure of what else to say. Luckily, Jooheon interjected. 

“Your lips are quite… nice,” Jooheon says, smiling a bit while trying to ignore his complications and just appreciate Kihyun’s warm, soft lips. Feeling a bit better, Kihyun smiles, his flushed cheeks looking darling in the dim light.

“So are yours,” he replied, pulling out his phone from his pocket and jolting a bit at the time. “Oh shit, my set starts in 2 minutes, I need to finish getting ready,” Kihyun declared, opening the door to the building hastily and ushering Jooheon along inside. Now inside, Kihyun shut the door behind them, taking off his hoodie and adjusting his revealing stage outfit. Today, Kihyun was wearing what appeared to be a highly fetishized police uniform, complete with a rhinestone badge on his lapel. Jooheon swallowed thickly at the sight, his eyes darting away as he realized that Kihyun was watching every move he made. There was something still off, they’d rushed that kiss so much that Jooheon felt weird and out of place standing here while Kihyun got ready. His desire to flee the scene was immense.

“I’ll see you in the crowd?” Kihyun asked, applying some thin foundation across his nose and cheeks, eyes expectant. Nodding his head, Jooheon began walking out of the room, already setting out to go to his usual seat. 

“Of course.” Jooheon was his best customer, after all. Even though the vibe was weird, he couldn’t just leave without getting what he came here for.

 

* * *

 

The dark, rippling purple curtains shifted as a man entered the room. He was hunched over, beady eyes peeking from behind a crooked pair of glasses. Even the air faltered around his presence, but the other man in the room still sat completely, almost eerily, still. The sparkling diamond chandelier rocked slightly, casting several fractions of light onto the otherwise dark room. The man sitting in the chair finally stood up, after a hoarse cough from the room’s other occupant, and walked towards the vampire with a half-filled glass of blood in his hand.

“Surely you’ve heard the rumors, haven’t you sir?” the crouched-over one asked, his minute movements and gestures distinctly reptilian in nature. The other was starkly more put-together and well-dressed, and he looked down into the other’s eyes, taking a small sip from his glass.

“Of course I have, Nostro. All sorts,” he replied, his cool gaze hauntingly calm despite the force packed behind his aggressive reply. Nostro shrunk into himself, his long fingers curling around each other as he blinked up into his master’s face.

“He’s apparently in a relationship with a human now, too,” Nostro added, unaware of all of the rage and travesty that would occur because of that one fateful line. The other man froze, his chest heaving with a heavy, deep inhale.

“…My ex-fiancé has now resorted to fucking those _savages_?” the man spat out, eyes flashing hot, bright purple, practically broiling with anger. Nostro backed away, nodding his head slowly, meekly watching his master as a bright, violet light emanated off him in waves. The glass of blood was now shattered on the luxurious Persian rug, staining its timelessly beautiful surface with goopy red.

“Do others know of this, Nostro?” the man asked, his voice panicked and hurried, fingers already curling around the keys setting on his desk, the gesture paranoid. They’d known of the situation since it started happening, but neither could have predicted such a scandalous turn of events. Nostro bit his lip, brown eyes flashing to the wall and then back to his master, unsure of what to say.

“Not yet, but they will soon if he keeps going there,” Nostro replied, praying that he wouldn’t get punished, his eyes squeezing shut in preparation for it regardless. The sound of keys rattling filled the air, and the chandelier rocked in the wake of one of its occupants exiting the room at a frighteningly fast speed. Nostro opened his eyes warily, exhaling a deep sigh of relief as he realized that his master had left him unscathed. But… while he was undamaged, he couldn’t promise the same for his master’s ex-fiancé. He didn’t know what the man was planning, but when his reputation was at stake, he was willing to do almost anything, whether or not it was right.

 

* * *

 

Stretching his limbs with a heavy sigh, Jooheon began slowly walking up the stairs to his apartment. Kihyun’s show was great, as it normally was, but he couldn’t find it in himself to be as into it as he usually was. The passion and exhilaration he felt the first time he saw Kihyun preform, he didn’t know if he still felt that. Biting his lip, Jooheon figures he’ll just sleep it off and talk to Minhyuk about it tomorrow, maybe he just needs to vent about his confusion to someone he trusts first.

Approaching his door, Jooheon feels his stomach flip; nervous, heavy tension weighing on him as soon as he hovers his hand over the doorknob. He could feel something familiar, bubbling up and popping in his stomach in the most unsettling of ways, but he couldn’t quite place it, and in his confusion, he opened the door and stepped inside, his eyes darting around the interior of his home anxiously. What was the cause of this sudden darkness weighing over him? He locked the door behind him, his metaphorical heart jumping as he hears a familiar clanking of expensive shoes on worn wooden floor.

“Darling,” a hauntingly recognizable voice drawled from within the safety of his own home, and Jooheon felt every single one of his guards go up. He darted his gaze to the corner of his apartment, spotting his ex-fiancé leaning against his drapery like he fucking lived there or something. Taking a step back, Jooheon snarled a bit, but what he was really feeling was hurt, not anger.

“How did you get in, Sang-Ki?” Jooheon asked, his voice low as he desperately worked to keep his tone stable. His ex-fiancé smiled slowly, his eyes flashing down as he twirled his keys in his hand, the sound of them jangling echoing in the otherwise quiet room.

“I still had my key to your place,” he replied, something sinister yet warm oozing out of his eyes like poisonous wax, dripping and melting in Jooheon’s vision. He felt paralyzed under the form of his ex, all of the memories of his past betrayal flashing in his head ceaselessly. What was he doing here? Why was he inserting himself back into Jooheon’s life right when he started putting all of the pieces back together? 

“Why are you here?” Jooheon managed to ask, putting on a strong face as he stood in place, refusing to get closer to that liar and cheat. Sang-Ki smiled, taking steps that Jooheon refused to take, his motions slow yet predatory, like he was playing with his prey before he ate them whole.

“People are talking about you, darling,” he began, punctuating his claim with a hard, flat step onto the hardwood. “Saying all sorts of treacherous things, like that you’re consorting with humans and falling into debauchery without me,” he continued, his voice somehow like both sandpaper and oil, drilling into Jooheon’s ear. 

“How is this any of your business?” Jooheon spat out, crossing his arms and getting indignant. He couldn’t let Sang-Ki forget what he did to him. “I’m sure you’re having a great life without me. Still fucking Edvard, right? Why does it even _matter_ what I do?” Jooheon couldn’t stop himself anymore, the sight of his ex’s disgustingly charming and attractive eyes throwing him into a fit of rage. Sang-Ki sighed through his nose, his eyes darting to the floor thoughtfully. He almost looked like he was pitying Jooheon or something. 

“Nothing is the same with you gone, darling,” he began, his voice holding the slightest shred of what could potentially be construed as emotion. “And after I hurt you, I killed Edvard. He tempted me into infidelity and deserved only eternal suffering,” Sang-Ki continued, his words shocking Jooheon for several seconds, leaving him slightly breathless as he stared at the face of his once-lover.

“He wasn’t the only one at fault,” Jooheon began, but something had changed in his heart and in his gaze. Sang-Ki could see it, those glimmering appearances of the feelings he once had for him. Licking his lips, Sang-Ki took another step forward, his smoky blond hair falling into his eyes as he encroached further into Jooheon’s space.

“What I did was different Jooheon, it was wrong, yes, but it was private… locked behind closed doors,” he said, and Jooheon clenched his jaw, only wishing they’d remembered to lock the door before Jooheon had caught them in the act. “But what you are doing- it is not so private,” he said, turning the conversation back to Jooheon. Flickering his gaze to the window, Jooheon pretended to look uninterested, which wasn’t too hard. Sure, Sang-Ki felt different somehow, gentler. Like he at least realized that what he did was wrong. But Jooheon knew that of their upper-society crimes- Jooheon’s was certainly the lesser of the two evils. 

“It’s my own decision to make,” Jooheon rebutted, starting to get impatient. “If you just came here to lecture me, you can leave now. I’m not interested.” The last thing he wanted was to hear what he should or should not be doing from the man who literally cheated on him right under his nose. Sang-Ki finally closed the gap between them, raising his hand to rest against Jooheon’s upper arm as he stared down into his eyes.

“No, I didn’t come here to lecture you. We all make mistakes, but yours can still be fixed,” he said, his voice pacifying and lecherously smooth, as if he had all the answers in the world. Jooheon felt the familiar, cool touch of his ex-lover, and his chest ached. These past few weeks, he’s only been remembering the bad memories, all of the ways Sang-Ki had ripped his heart out and stomped on it… but he was forgetting those 10 years of passion and romance. He hated himself a little for it, but with Sang-Ki here, and his intoxicating fragrance surrounding him, Jooheon just might be feeling that love start to bubble up again.

“What do you mean exactly?” Jooheon dared to ask, ignoring the suspiciously Minhyuk-like voice in the back of his head telling him to run. Sang-Ki’s fingers trailed up the side of his arm, sparks flying in his wake, eyes so intense they were practically swirling with lavender specks.

“Stop seeing that human, and come back to me,” Sang-Ki drawled out, voice thick like tar and molasses, sweet yet deadly and Jooheon had always been so prone to that tone, so addicted to that certain flavor of sin. His chest panged at the thought of never seeing Kihyun again, but there was a part of him that had always known it was wrong. Humans and vampires weren’t supposed to be together, and he felt that earlier at the club when they kissed. It wasn’t magical, it wasn’t perfect. Sang-Ki was right.

“Can we even still be together?” Jooheon asked, but his voice bordered on hopeful, desperate. Sang-Ki could tell he struck a nerve somewhere, had managed to convince him to go back to the righteous path. Of course, as much as he painted his argument as being about helping Jooheon, Sang-Ki was certainly doing it for himself, too. He’d been avoiding all other vampires like the plague for weeks, denying calls and visitors- too scared of any of them finding out of his transgressions. He was a prideful vampire, and his image was seriously at stake the longer he stayed apart from Jooheon.

“Of course we can, angel,” he whispered, completely sure of himself. Jooheon didn’t know how to feel for several long seconds. The room was dark still, but the sun was starting to rise outside, and Sang-Ki was still in his apartment, uttering dangerous, dangerous words and touching his shoulder like they were lovers again. Jooheon felt at odds with himself and everything he thought he knew after these past weeks. Was it time to move past this? Was Sang-Ki right?

“What happened to you, darling,” Sang-Ki mumbled smoothly under his breath, his fingers curling higher up Jooheon’s neck, tracing against his pulse-less skin gently. “Just a few months ago, we were going to get married,” he reminded Jooheon, flooding the man’s mind with memories of the night he’d proposed. Jooheon had cried for an hour, too overwhelmed by the sentiment to smile for hours. His lips curled up a bit just at the thought, and Sang-Ki’s soft, familiar touch lulled him to calmness.

“I think I just spent too much time at The Bleeding Lamb,” Jooheon offered, not quite thinking about the ramifications of his words at the moment. That place had definitely changed him, and he almost forgot about the way high vampire society worked after almost exclusively being around humans and peasant vampires for nearly two months. Maybe that was why he was so uncaring about his reputation and past.

Sang-Ki hummed, the sound low and gravelly as he stared down at his fiancé. He hadn’t really looked at it in that perspective before, but Jooheon had a point. Going there once to relieve stress was one thing, but to become a regular? It was downright deplorable for a vampire of Jooheon’s status. He was starting to get a reputation, one that Sang-Ki was getting as well. He knew what he had to do now, very clearly. Clutching the side of Jooheon’s face intimately, Sang-Ki stared into his eyes, his gaze burning hot and radiating powerful energy.

“If that is the case, then I will not allow such a trashy club to sully my fiancé’s reputation any longer. I will have it destroyed.”


End file.
